


Prodigal Sons

by AndrewJTalon



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Chichi, Dragon Ball Z - Freeform, Dragonball What If? Inspired, F/M, Food, Gine Comes to Earth, Good, Mama Bear Gine, Saiyan Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndrewJTalon/pseuds/AndrewJTalon
Summary: Raditz comes to Earth to recruit his little brother for the surviving Saiyans. He runs into an unexpected complication: His mother Gine. AU based on MasakoX's DB What ifs? series.
Relationships: Bardock/Gine (Dragon Ball), Bulma Briefs/Vegeta, Chi-Chi/Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Launch/Raditz (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

The little island was pristine and beautiful, an oasis in the endless blue sea. And it just added to Raditz's increasing anger and disgust with his younger brother. To think that this world would be so untouched! What, had Kakarrot gone native?

Well, given how strong that Namekian had been, perhaps it had been too much for him. Maybe his little brother had perished. The green slug man had been almost as powerful as he was, meaning Raditz had to be cautious around him. Still, he'd learned more. Enough to navigate. Enough to identify two other high power levels.

His scouter beeped, and Raditz frowned. The two levels were changing, growing stronger. From a mere 500 each, to... 1,500?! And a third was growing to nearly a thousand, in the same spot! A fourth was charging up too, just a little behind! He slowed, and began to descend down to the sandy beach of the little island. A small house, made of wood and carbon steel, sat on the island. The translator option in his scouter transcribed the words on the dwelling as "Kame (Turtle) House".

The door to the house opened, and a tall, spiky haired young man in orange clothing stepped out onto the grass. He was the spitting image of their father, and Raditz felt a tiny bit of relief that his brother still lived. A short native, in orange clothing as well but far shorter, balder, and... Noseless, stepped out with his brother. Kakarrot stared in curiosity, sizing his older brother up with a calm expression. As well he should: He was stronger than Raditz, he would be unworried as well. The short human was more wary, looking at Raditz as a potential threat. Raditz found himself smirking a bit: Maybe he was outmatched, but they were cautious. He could work with that.

He took a breath.

"It's been a long time, Kakarrot," he said. "My, how you've-"

Then the third person stepped out of the house, and Raditz's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened as the small, female form walked out.

She too was dressed in organic fibers from this planet, a greenish-blue dress over a pink long sleeved shirt, held tight against her form by a matching pink sash. Her dark black eyes widened as well, recognition burning in her eyes. Her long, monkey-like tail stood up straight in shock.

"R... Raditz?" She gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Tears pearled at the corners of her eyes-The only eyes that had ever shown him kindness or affection. Raditz took a step back, his heart pounding hard.

"... M... Mother?!" He whispered.

"Who is this, Gine?" The short bald one asked.

"Why does he have a tail?" Kakarrot asked. Gine was shaking.

"H-He's Raditz... M-My eldest son... And your brother, Goku," she said. Kakarrot blinked, and stared at Raditz in amazement.

"Really? Wow...!" Kakarrot breathed.

Raditz opened his mouth, trying to say something. Trying to remember what he came for. He managed to lock onto it, and drag out the Plan.

"I... I am your big brother, Kakarrot. And I've come to-"

Gine's amazed face broke into a wide, happy smile and a joyous laugh, ringing in his ears like bells. She crossed the distance between them in an instance, and wrapped her deceptively strong arms around his waist. She sobbed happily into his chest, her tiny form burying herself in him.

"Raditz! Oh Gods, I thought you were dead! I thought-You're alive! _You're alive!"_

All thoughts of the plan vanished.

An ancient looking human wearing a heavy shell of some kind emerged, as did two female humans: One with light blue hair dressed in synthetic fabrics and looking very inquisitive, and a pretty blonde in far briefer clothing and carrying a projectile weapon. The blonde female had a fearsome look on her face... Until she sneezed, and her hair turned a dark purple. After that, she just looked confused.

Finally, a small boy in garish clothing with a tail wandered out, looking confusedly up at him too. That had to be Kakarrot's son.

Much confused murmuring and conversation ensued, as Gine just kept crying and smiling and sobbing over Raditz. Yet all of it faded as he slowly wrapped his arms around his small mother and hugged her back. It was a difficult motion, as he hadn't embraced anyone in... So long. Yet it made her happier.

"My baby boy... You-Look how big you are!" Gine said happily. She beamed up at him. "You're so strong, I can sense it!"

"I uh... Well," Raditz muttered. "I... I mean I'm-"

"I'm so happy-I can't even-!" Gine turned to the gathered humans and Kakarrot, and beamed. "Bulma! Bulma, please call everyone! Goku! Get Chichi here! Master Roshi-We need to throw a party! _My eldest son is alive!"_

The tension in the group eased a great deal. Bulma, the light blue haired one, beamed back and immediately pulled out a communicator to start making calls. Goku grinned and walked up to Raditz, patting him on the shoulder.

"It's great to meet you! You seem pretty strong-I can't wait to spar with you! And to hear about space! I'm an alien huh? Wow..."

"That explains a lot, huh Krillin?" Bulma muttered to the short bald one. Krillin shook his head in amazement.

"Wow... Aliens... First contact... Well! It could have gone worse. Like _Independence Day_ or something," Krillin said. Raditz blinked at this, and back to his brother.

"Uh... Well, I would actually like to-"

"Eat? Me too! But that's all the time!" Kakarrot laughed. He grinned at the small boy. "Come on Gohan! Come over and say hi to your Uncle Raditz!"

"Come on Gohan!" Gine said, beaming. The little boy still hid behind the light blue haired woman, and wouldn't come. Gine beamed at Raditz. "Sorry, he's a bit shy."

"I uh... That's..." Raditz tried again to say something, but nothing came. He knew he should be disgusted at this hybrid creature, and its weakness, but...

Roshi laughed loudly, the old man nodding to the dark blue haired woman.

"Come on Launch! Let's get the beer and the meat cooking! Woo hoo!"

"Oh my, certainly Master Roshi! Though we should introduce ourselves first, right? That's the polite thing to do," she said. She walked up boldly to Raditz, and bowed as Gine pulled away. Raditz's hands were left stiff in mid air, unsure if they should hold onto his mother or pull back. The purple-blue haired woman smiled and bowed, which did let Raditz see part of her mammaries. That was nice.

"My name is Launch. It's nice to meet you!" She said formally. Gine took up a position at Raditz's side, her arm wrapping around his waist. She beamed up at him, and lightly elbowed him.

"On this planet, we bow to people as part of greetings," she said. "Go ahead Raditz!"

Raditz turned back to Launch, and managed to slowly bow his head. "I... I am Raditz," he said. "It is... Good to meet you?"

He looked at Gine, who beamed in approval. That felt good. Launch smiled back.

"You're just as handsome as Goku! Oh... Oh my, I'm so sorry," the female said, covering her blushing cheeks. "That was forward!"

Gine laughed. "You can be more forward with my son! He looks like he could use it! He's so tense!"

Much laughter. Kind, happy laughter. The kind he had never heard before. Launch turned and ran into the house, and soon the smell of meat sizzling over heat wafted through the air. The bald one went into the house, and came out with small, cold metal containers in his hands. He smiled up at Raditz, and offered one.

"Hey! I'm Krillin, Goku's best friend! Or uh, Kakarrot I guess?" He looked at Gine, who shrugged.

"He needed an Earth name to register for things, so Grandpa Gohan suggested it," she said.

"What can I say, I like it!" Goku said cheerfully. He saw Raditz's concern, and took one of the cans. "Try it!"

Raditz took a can, and studied it. "What... What is it?"

"It's called beer!" Krillin said cheerfully. "It's great! Try it!" He snapped open the can, and began drinking from it. Kakarrot followed suit, while Gine continued to smile up at her eldest son.

"Go on, son."

Raditz sipped the beer, and let the taste wash over his tongue. His eyes widened as he swallowed that gulp... And he began gulping it down eagerly.

"Good, huh?" Kakarrot said with a grin. The woman Launch came out with several sandwiches on a platter, all hot with a yeasty and meaty scent. She beamed as she walked up and offered the platter to the Saiyans. Gine took several, as did Kakarrot, while Krillin pulled one himself. That still left plenty for him. He took one, sniffed it. The smell was heavenly. He looked up at the smile of Launch, and the smiles of his mother and brother. He looked back at the sandwich.

"Don't worry," Launch said. "This is just an appetizer! I have a lot more coming!"

Raditz looked back at the sandwich, his scouter analyzing it. He brought the sandwich to his lips, and bit into it. He held back a groan of pleasure-It was even better than the _beer._ What had they put into this food?!

The scouter had no answers.

His mother and brother were strong and being kind to him. A hot girl was serving him beer and the most delicious food he'd ever had. He looked up at the sky, just knowing that Vegeta and Nappa were listening in. And who knew who else?

Gine pulled his face down to look in his eyes, her own orbs filled with concern. "Are you all right Raditz?"

"I... I'm just so... Shocked," Raditz said, being honest. "It's all so overwhelming."

Gine beamed. "It's okay," she said. "We've got all the time we need to catch up, and process things. The most important thing is that you're here, with us."

"But I need to tell you," Raditz began, "I need to-"

Gine shook her head, and cupped his cheek. "Tell me what, dear?" She asked.

Raditz stared at her for a long time. He reached up to his scouter, and turned it off.

"It can wait," he said.

* * *

More strange humans arrived. Some tiny midget with pale skin and red cheeks who was always floating around and gave Raditz a strange feeling in his mind. Psychics, urgh. His name was Chiaotzu. Eventually he floated over to have something called 'cake', which was amazing-Both in that he left him alone, and that it was _delicious._

His friend was better: A tall, bald man who seemed to eschew shirts, and had a third eye in the middle of his forehead. He was very stoic, and was named Tien Shinhan. Apparently, he was an assassin at some point. At the moment he was having a beer and chatting with another human that had arrived: Yamcha. He was mated to Bulma, and was annoying.

Thankfully the human had gotten the message and moved off from Raditz after greeting him with some platitudes.

At last, he got to meet Kakarrot's wife... Chichi. She was a princess of some sort, and was quite gracious and polite. Though rather fierce, which Raditz approved of.

"Yamcha! Keep your feet off the coffee table!" Chichi ordered. Yamcha pulled his feet off, and coughed.

"Sorry!"

Chichi huffed, and turned back to Raditz. He was sitting on a couch between Kakarrot and his mother. Chichi was on the other side of Kakarrot, little Gohan sitting in her lap and shooting him curious looks when he thought his uncle wasn't looking back. Raditz had to admit, he was shooting a lot of curious looks himself. Chichi raised an eyebrow at this.

"Something wrong with my son, Raditz?" She asked, a hint of warning in her tone. Raditz shook his head.

"No, not at all," he insisted. "It's just... A Saiyan hybrid child! That's incredible. We've never actually met any other species we could er, breed with."

"Oh yeah!" Kakarrot said with a grin. "That part was _really_ fun! And I really like to do it with her when we-"

"Goku!" Gine and Chichi both admonished him. Kakarrot winced, and Raditz couldn't help but smirk a little in simple sibling schadenfreude. Krillin came by and sat down on the couch facing them, leaning back with a grin.

"So, turns out Bulma isn't single," he said. "Though you never know, maybe Yamcha will screw up too many times."

"Krillin," Gine said warningly, "you shouldn't be acting like a vulture you know."

"I'm just saying," Krillin said, holding his hands up. "So, Raditz: How are you finding the Earth so far?"

Raditz found himself drinking more beer, and he shook his head. "It's very nice," he said. "The food is incredible."

He sounded neutral enough, he thought. But his mother, despite the years of being apart, was looking at him in deep concern.

"Raditz... What's wrong?" She asked.

Raditz worked his jaw. He stared intently at his mother. The entirety of what he was doing, what would happen, seemed to come over him like the weight of an Oozaru's foot. "I can't... I... I need my space."

He got up and walked out of the house, past all of the chatting humans. Out into the cold night, underneath the twinkling stars. The music, the noise, it all faded against the rushing of blood through his ears.

He had to fly. He had to get away. He had to run. He could fake his death-yes! He could make it look like he had been bested by the native lifeforms and died! That he had found no trace of his brother, and he was gone! Then Nappa and Vegeta...

"... would still come here because they'll want to fight whatever killed me," Raditz sighed.

Gine cleared her throat behind him, and Raditz spun around. His mother stood there, her tail waving slightly in agitation. Goku was right by her, as was Chichi. All of them looking very concerned. None more than Gine.

"Raditz," Gine said softly. "Just tell me what's going on."

Raditz clenched his fists tightly. Gine continued.

"You still have a Freeza Force Scouter... You're still part of them, aren't you? Even after he destroyed our planet."

Raditz's jaw dropped. He stared in shock at his mother. "You-You knew?!" He gasped. "How-?!"

"Dad warned Mom," Goku said. "We had a message and everything."

Gine rummaged in her dress, and pulled out a holographic disk. She held it out to Raditz, and he shakily took it. He activated it, and looked at the holographic projection of his father. He was injured and ragged, but still determined. Still brave.

" _... Freeza's afraid of us... Afraid of our power,"_ Bardock said, " _he's going to destroy us. All of us... Get off the planet. Get out of here. And keep Kakarrot safe..."_

The hologram ended. Raditz growled, and his grip tightened on the holographic disk. He took a deep breath, and looked into the eyes of his mother, and his brother.

"... He killed father... He destroyed our world... I always suspected, there was enough time to evacuate but..." He took another deep breath. He shut his eyes. "Mother... Brother... I've been under Prince Vegeta and Nappa for all this time. I've been their slave! They've treated me like a joke! I told them I could bring back Kakarrot as another warrior! Just to be another slave! They know you're here..." He took deep breaths, calming himself. "And if they come, you'll be...!"

He couldn't finish it the thought. All of this kindness and generosity, and he didn't deserve a bit of it. Nevermind Saiyans being soft, _this was his mother._

Gine smiled gently, as she reached out to take Raditz's hand. "I've faced worse," she said. "And let's be honest... I always expected the Freeza Force to catch up with me sooner or later."

"How long will it take for them to get here?" Kakarrot asked, curious. Raditz sighed.

"If they leave right now...? About one year on this planet."

Kakarrot grinned. "Hee... Then one year to train to get strong enough!"

"Wha... Are you an idiot?!" Raditz demanded. "You can't get strong enough to beat them in one year! It's impossible!"

Chichi smiled gently. "I think that word's lost all meaning the moment I met these two," she said. Gine shared her son's smile, though hers was more focused.

"Raditz... We don't have a lot of choice, do we?" She asked. She held out her hand. "Your scouter please?"

Raditz stared in confusion. "My scouter-?"

"Raditz? The scouter, _now,"_ Gine stated firmly, her Mom Look at full power. Raditz slowly complied, pulling the scouter off and handing it over. Gine put it on, and turned it back on. She opened the communications channel, after fumbling with the controls briefly.

"Ooh, I was never good with these things," she muttered. "Ahem. Prince Vegeta, I call a meeting of the clans to discuss meteor issues. Over and out." She then turned off the scouter, as Raditz gaped in disbelief at her.

"Wha-What did you do?!" Raditz cried. "We're going to all die!"

Kakarrot grinned. "Ooh... We're gonna meet them?"

"I essentially called a diplomatic meeting in the old Saiyan way," Gine said. "If Vegeta remembers his old ritualistic training, he will come to a meeting of the clans to discuss issues of importance to the Saiyans." She nodded. "And we will meet and convince him to join us. After all, we're not opposed to defeating Freeza. I think we're quite keen on that."

Raditz's jaw dropped even harder. "Mother!" He gasped. "Have you lost your mind?! We'll have one year! _ONE! YEAR!"_

Gine smiled. "Then we'd better get started, shouldn't we?"

Kakarrot cheered. "Woohoo! Training! Isn't that awesome, Chichi?"

Kakarrot's wife chuckled. "Yes dear. Quite awesome."

Raditz was shaking his head slowly. His mother took his suddenly numb hand in hers, still beaming.

"Come along dear. Let's get to work. First stop? Kami's Lookout."

"What's... A Kami?" Asked Raditz.

"Basically God," Kakarrot explained.

Well... Now he knew why his mother and little brother had taken to this strange world: _They were completely insane._


	2. Chapter 2

_Unnumbered Freeza Planet_

_\- - -_

"Ugh! For such weak, soft beings, these creatures are quite tough and difficult," Vegeta spat, the fried corpse of one of the defenders of this world at his feet. He tossed the leg aside, making a face. "Yech!"

His taller subordinate, the bald and bearded Nappa, just laughed.

"I told you! You always overcook it!" Nappa chuckled, still digging into his own alien. "Ya gotta sear the outside then cook it more slowly!"

"Bah, that can't make it that much better," Vegeta snorted.

"It does when Raditz cooked for us," Nappa said. Vegeta sneered, and raised his voice in mockery.

"'I soaked it in it's own blood for an hour! That brings out the flavor!' I suppose his worthless mother had to teach him something."

Their scouters beeped. A new message had arrived: A compilation of what Raditz's scouter had been recording while the lowly Saiyan was unaware.

"Well, let's see how he fucked up this time," Vegeta sighed. He hit play and the two began to watch.

Vegeta made a face. "Ugh... This planet is so picturesque and wholesome! I want to burn it to ashes on principle!"

"Look Vegeta! A Namekian," Nappa said. "Haha! Strong enough Raditz didn't even try to fight!"

""Oh please Mister Slugman, don't hurt me!'" Vegeta mocked, and both laughed hard. The recording continued. Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Huh... Kakarrot is actually stronger than his brother! Not by much but enough. Too bad he looks like a moron. All orange, who would-?"

The appearance of Gine made him pause. Nappa whistled.

"Wow! A real live Saiyan female, Vegeta! And look: Her boobs got bigger!"

"How?!" Vegeta demanded. "I remember her-She wasn't like that at all!"

"You know her, Vegeta?"

_Several years ago, in the palace of King Vegeta, Prince Vegeta was watching his father honor Bardock's gang. He made a face: a bunch of low class weaklings._

_"Yes, Lord Freeza has said you are effective," King Vegeta said. "Good work."_

_"Thank you, your majesty," Bardock replied, nodding slightly but not bowing. It was disrespectful-Vegeta seethed! His father deserved more respect!_

_"So, where is Prince Sandwich-I mean, Vegeta?" Asked an unpleasant and butch looking Saiyan woman. A smaller, slighter female, standing in the back, tried to shush her._

_"Selapya! Don't!" She hissed. King Vegeta looked confused._

_"Why did you call him Sandwich?"_

_Selapya grinned defiantly up at the King. "Because he's inbred!"_

_KIng Vegeta glared. The rest of Bardock's squad... Laughed. The slight Saiyan girl smiled nervously. Bardock just smirked slightly. Prince Vegeta seethed. His father... Did nothing but shrug._

_"Well, hope you enjoyed that joke, because it was your-"_

_"She is vital to our squad, Your Highness," Bardock said quickly. "Her death would make our effectiveness go down."_

_King Vegeta scowled. "... Fine. Now get out of here."_

_The low class scum left, the slight Saiyan woman muttering at Selapya as they walked out._

_"You shouldn't have done that, Selapya! It was stupid!"_

_Selapya laughed. "Gine! You came up with the joke!"_

In the present, Vegeta growled as he heard Gine's request for a meeting. He stood up.

"Nappa. Prepare the pods. We're going to Earth to kill everyone."

"Even Raditz's hot mom?"

"ESPECIALLY HER!"

\- - -

The journey up to the Lookout was rather short. His mother of course could fly, as could he. Kakarrot and his wife could too, but instead they took a bright yellow cloud. Kakarrot called it the "Flying Nimbus". It kept up with them though, he gave it that. They soon reached a gigantic floating stone platform, glowing white underneath the light of the partial moon and the countless stars above them.

So... It wasn't like Raditz hadn't met beings of high power levels playing at being God over planets before. But this Kami was actually quite strong, and exuded an air of calm serenity rather than unearned arrogance. Like Vegeta.

The ancient Namekian stood on his floating platform calmly, his face grave, as the Saiyans and their family members approached. At his side was a strange, plump black creature, in white and red clothing with bright lips and an unsettling stare. Not that Raditz let his consternation show.

Gine immediately greeted the ancient Namekian, smiling widely. "Hello Kami! Hello Mister Popo!"

Kakarrot followed suit, grinning his silly grin as he waved. "How are you guys doing?"

The Namekian's grave expression shifted into a gentle smile, filled with genuine affection. "I am quite fine, Gine, Goku, Chichi and Raditz I believe?"

"Yes, I am Raditz," the Saiyan warrior replied. He hesitated. "My mission to your world was-"

The old Namekian held up his hand. "I am aware of your compatriots, and their power levels. They are on their way here as we speak."

Raditz gaped. "How did you know that?! Did you read my mind?" Psychics always unsettled Raditz. That little toad Guldo would always use his abilities to torment and humiliate him. The old Namekian's gentle smile didn't waver.

"No. I did a few inquiries with my friends in the Otherworld," Kami said. "The moment you arrived on the world though, I was aware of you. I am thankful you did not try to fight Gine and Goku-It would have been quite destructive."

"Would have been fun," Kakarrot mumbled, looking petulant. Gine sighed, and shook her head. She looked at Kami imploringly.

"So, how long do we have?" She asked. Kami sighed.

"Approximately one year." He looked intently at them. "And your powers, while formidable, are not sufficient to face them now."

"We're aware," Gine said gently. "We're going to ask Bulma for help, of course. And we're going to get everyone together, but we were hoping you might be able to aid us more directly?"

"Yeah! Can you train us like you did back in the old days, Kami?" Kakarrot asked eagerly.

Kami sighed. "There is very little else I can teach you," he admitted. "At this point it, would be insufficient to help you achieve your aims."

"Also, you are aware... I mean, you do know you are a Namekian, right?" Raditz blurted out. Kami smirked slightly, the aged lines on his green face shifting in irony.

"I am aware of what I am, yes," he said to Raditz with a nod. "I'm surprised you know of my race. I was unaware they were well known."

"Mostly as a legend," Raditz admitted. "And a few space pirates. Strong enough to make trouble for certain parts of the PTO."

"Hrm, I see," Kami rumbled. "I would like to talk more about this later. For now though, I must make some inquiries about getting you all better training. I will have something for you by tomorrow, at the latest."

"Yeah, it is getting pretty late," Chichi admitted. She shifted the young Gohan in her arms, who was already looking sleepy. She smiled at Raditz. "We do have a spare room and bed, Raditz! If you'd like to stay?"

Raditz nodded. "Yes."

Gine gave him a hard look, and Raditz blinked. "What?" He asked.

"What do we say?" Gine prompted. Raditz grimaced.

"I don't know-"

"Thank you!" Kakarrot said cheerfully. "That's what you say!"

"Thank you," Raditz managed, flushing a bit in embarrassment. His mother's smile eased things a bit though.

Kami nodded. "Mm. I will contact you all tomorrow, then."

Kakarrot took off, carrying his wife to the edge of the Looktout platform. Below, the Flying Nimbus waited. He turned his head and gave Raditz a big grin.

"See you at home, Raditz! Mom'll show you the way, right?"

"Of course I will," Gine said with a smile. She wrapped an arm around her son's larger bicep, beaming at him. "We have a lot to talk about."

Raditz found a small smile growing on his face. "Yes, we do," he said with a nod.

While the future was uncertain, underneath the glimmer of moonlight with his loving mother, he couldn't help feeling some happiness. For the first time in a long time.

\- - -

Normally, Raditz couldn't care less about the rotation of a planet, or the rising of its sun. He had fought on so many worlds with so many kinds of suns, moons, and other primaries it had all begun to blend together. Just another world to decimate for Freeza. Just another chance for Vegeta and Nappa to use him as their punching bag, meatshield, and slave.

If he was lucky, in that order.

Now though? A night of talking with his mother. A night of learning what she and his little brother had experienced here.

Yes, today, the sun rising over the horizon was different. He found in himself... A sense of hope. Even with the looming threat of Vegeta and Nappa coming after him, he felt _hope._

And as the light began to shine red and purple through the window of his room- _his room!_ -Raditz felt another equally strong and almost unfamiliar sensation: _Anticipation!_

Not just for the fight, but also for breakfast-Which he could already smell down below with his keen Saiyan nose. Kakarrot's mate must be up, and so...

He got up and opened the door, now dressed in some larger, lighter clothing his mother had obtained for him: A black linen shirt and orange pants. His armor was lying by the wayside, though he kept his Saiyan boots. He walked to what he was sure was Kakarrot and his mate's room, and dramatically kicked the door open.

"KAKARROT!" He shouted. "THE WORLD HAS TURNED AND NOW WE TRAIN-!"

His face turned red... And he was soon barraged with an assortment of household items and feminine screaming.

" _ **GET OUT! OUT OUT OUUUUUUTTTTT!"**_

Raditz quickly shut the door and hurried away, down the stairs to the kitchen. His face was red in embarrassment, a fact he tried to hide as he saw his mother sitting at the table.

"A sock on the door on this planet usually means not to barge in, dear," Gine said calmly, sipping some kind of hot beverage from a small ceramic mug. Raditz's flush would not go away as he scowled.

"I-I didn't know that!" Raditz spat. "How-how could he-with his own-I mean-There's training to do!" He protested. Gine chuckled, and continued to sip the beverage. It smelled of herbs and sugar, and the steam from it wafted gently into the air.

"One thing you learn on Earth is to appreciate everything that exists besides fighting," she said. She stood up and held the cup in her hand. "Come along, breakfast time." She headed outside, to a small picnic table. Raditz followed, and began to drool: There was so much food on the table, and it all looked delicious! The smells were enticing in every way his overwhelmed senses could process. He walked up and sat down at the table. Gine piled on the food onto several plates, and set them all down in front of him. She beamed.

"Go ahead! Eat up!" She said. Raditz dug in... And let his Saiyan instincts take over. The food tasted even better than it smelled! The proteins, the carbohydrates, the lipids, the sugars-All seemed created to reward Raditz for every bite. The drinks were just as good-Something fruity, he thought? He sighed happily, leaning back and patting his belly. The sun was a bit higher, as he had lost track of time eating such a smorgasbord. He empty plates were stacked in front of him, yet there was still so much more! And there was his mother, having finished her own breakfast-Nearly as large, but she had eaten it in a far neater manner.

"Wow," Raditz breathed, "all this delicious food... For a cook like you, this world must have been like heaven!"

"Oh, I quite enjoy it," Gine said with a smile. "I'm always discovering new dishes and new methods of cooking!"

Raditz's mind and heart may have still been conflicted, but his stomach was already declaring that Freeza, Vegeta and Nappa could fornicate themselves with one another. This world was never going to fall to them.

"Well," Raditz said, rising from the table, "I'm ready to spar. I'll uh-"

Gine rose from the table and wiped her lips daintily with a napkin. She then set it down and smiled at her eldest.

"I did cook them breakfast so they could sleep in. Wouldn't you like to warm up a bit before Kakarrot is ready?"

Raditz nodded slowly, and smiled. "I would like that," he said.

Gine flew up into the air, and Raditz followed. She led him to some airspace a fair distance away from the Son house, above the mountains. Raditz got into a fighting stance, a smile on his face. His mother was smiling just the same, gentle and kind.

"Now," Gine said, "let's avoid energy attacks for the time being. Just physical arts. Come at me."

Raditz nodded, and lunged. He wasn't even close to his full power, just a few cautious, probing punches!

His mother... Didn't even move, just calmly deflecting the punches with one hand. Her smile turned into a frown.

"Raditz," she said, a hint of reproachment in her voice, "what are you doing?"

"Huh?" Raditz paused. "Well... I mean, this is a warm up..."

Gine sighed. "Raditz, you are a Saiyan. I am a Saiyan. And I may not enjoy bloodshed and violence, but I do appreciate a good fight."

"I... It's just that, I mean, you were always so..." Raditz winced as he remembered every terrible thing Vegeta, Nappa and any other Saiyans had said about his mother. "... Soft."

Gine raised an eyebrow. "On Vegeta-sei? Yes, I was. But, things do change."

"Well," Raditz muttered. He felt so strange. Yes, he was a Saiyan and yes he loved a good fight, but... Years of fighting Vegeta and Nappa just to be humiliated flashed through his mind. His own mother, the only being in the universe who had ever shown him kindness... Wanted a fight? It was incomprehensible!

Gine continued to smile gently. "It's all right dear," she said. "You never have to hold back with me. With anything. So please," she floated backwards, one hand held behind her back as she reached out with her other, "let loose!"

Raditz sucked in a deep breath. He nodded. "All right," he muttered. He charged up to full, his aura flaring brilliantly! He charged for his mother, a fist speeding its way right for her face-!

_**WHAM!** _

And... Now he was in a crater. On his back. Staring up, stunned. His mother descended, her tail twitching as she smiled down at him. Her eyes crinkled in gentle mirth.

"See what I mean?" She asked.

"... Yes," he managed.

\- - -


	3. Chapter 3

\- - -  
  
Nappa was usually one to go with Vegeta's ideas. He had raised the boy into a man, after all, and guided his development as he thought his father would have wanted. But as they were flying in their pods, ascending into the heavens, he felt the need to argue his case.  
  
This was of course made far easier by the fact that Vegeta could not blast him without wrecking his own pod.  
  
"Vegeta, the ship computers agree," Nappa argued, "that brat was a perfect hybrid. No defects, no unwanted mutations-We can reproduce with Earth women!"  
  
"What, and pollute the purity of the Saiyan race?" Vegeta sneered.  
  
"There are so few of us left, Vegeta," Nappa reminded his Prince. "The Earthers might just be an offshoot of us Saiyans anyway! A lot of ships went missing over the centuries we fled Salad."  
  
"What? And put up with an entire planet of weaklings? Dilute our granduer with their filth? I'd rather we all die out first!" Vegeta scoffed. Nappa could imagine the Prince even now crossing his arms in a deep, stubborn scowl.  
  
"You could always reproduce with Raditz and Kakarrot's mother," Nappa suggested. "I can take the Earth women!"  
  
Vegeta cursed loudly over the communication link.  
  
"Sully my Royal heritage with that low class scullery maid?! NEVER!" Vegeta spat. "Besides, while they may have cobbled together the equipment to have that filthy, disgusting abomination, there's no way there's a birthing chamber that could handle MY progeny!"  
  
Nappa blinked. "Er... Vegeta, we could just make babies without birthing chambers. You know, with sex."  
  
There was a long pause over the communication channel. Then:  
  
"What the hell is sex?!"  
  
It was going to be a long voyage, Nappa reflected, as their pods leaped into faster than light drive.  
  
\- - -

The sun was now fully over the horizon, and the sky had turned a brilliant blue. It let Raditz see what he was doing far better, but that was the only improvement in his situation.  
  
His mother was very powerful, Raditz had to admit. Even when he was going all out, she was able to dodge or deflect everything he threw at her. His kicks, punches and body blows rarely even got close to her! He was already feeling winded, and yet she barely looked strained. Still smiling in encouragement, which frustrated him even more.  
  
He tried pushing himself further, his aura flaring in fury as he rushed her. He dropped down and flared his power as much as possible, shooting right up to try and strike from below!  
  
Gine again shifted out of the way, just enough to grasp his wrist and open palm thrust his shoulder, sending him spinning away. He recovered, and shot back at her, throwing multiple punches as hard and fast as he could! The miniature sonic booms left from the passage of his fists shook his mother’s short hair, as she deftly dodged around his strikes!  
  
He reared his arms up to bring down a hammer blow, but an open palm strike from Gine to his solar plexus immediately revealed that this was a bad idea. He spun away, the wind knocked out of him. He held his chest, heaving hard to regain his breathing.  
  
“Are you all right, Raditz?” Gine asked, in genuine concern. His pride rallied, as a hundred ‘sparring matches’ with Vegeta and Nappa forced his anger through his veins. The red mist descended, as he held up his hands, and charged his ki.  
  
Before he could process his rage, twin pink beams erupted from his hands! His Double Sunday raced for his mother, and Raditz was shaken out of his anger by shock and fear! It was pure reflex!  
  
His worries, again, were misplaced-Gine formed a bright, blue blade of ki from her hand, and swung it to deflect the first blast-High up into the sky. The other blast was knocked back onto a similar trajectory, arcing towards the heavens. Raditz was left breathing hard, his emotions a jumble, as Gine calmly flew up to him.  
  
“Raditz?” She asked. Raditz shook his head, his sweat pouring off his brow.  
  
“Haa… Haa… I’m fine,” he said. “Just… Memories.” He shook his head, scowling a bit. “I couldn’t even touch you…!”  
  
“Everyone begins differently, Raditz,” Gine said gently. She reached out and rested a hand on his. “And after all, this is the entire point of training. To improve.” She smiled.  
  
Raditz frowned. “And Kakarrot? Is he as strong as you?”  
  
Gine flushed with pride. “ _Much_ stronger,” she admitted. Raditz shook his head, and allowed himself an ironic chuckle. Maybe being cautious wasn’t such a bad trait for a Saiyan, after all. “But I’m sure you’ll get there,” she said, “for now? Why don’t we take a brief break?”  
  
Raditz was going to protest: After all, he could see the bright spot of orange rising into the sky from the Son House that was his brother. However, his sore, exhausted body was already protesting far more loudly. So begrudgingly, he nodded. Kakarrot soon flew into range, a bright grin on his face.  
  
“Hey Raditz! Sorry about this morning. Chichi and I were… Ya know,” he shrugged with a grin, “ _busy.”_  
  
“Ah, yeah,” Raditz managed, “I saw.”  
  
He would not blush. He would not.  
  
Kakarrot was already getting into a fighting stance. “So! Want to try fighting with me now?”  
  
His brother’s earnest anticipation was heartening. His mother’s tightened grip on his bicep though was insistent. He shook his head.  
  
“After a bit of rest, Kakarrot,” he said. Gine beamed at her youngest son.  
  
“Why not get Chichi up here to spar, Goku?” She suggested. “You two always enjoy that.”  
  
Goku nodded. “Sounds good!” He turned his head back towards his house, and took a deep breath. _**“HEY CHICHI!!!”**_  
  
Goku’s yell was so loud, it seemed to make the air shake. Raditz had to cover his ears, as Gine sighed.  
  
A few moments passed, before Kakarrot’s mate rocketed up from their house with a reddish aura. Gohan was in her arms, holding onto his mother for dear life. Chichi scowled angrily.  
  
 _ **“GOKU! DON’T SHOUT THAT LOUD!”**_ Chichi bellowed back, with the same force and volume. Little Gohan was also holding his ears, wincing hard. Chichi took another deep breath and shook her head. “What is it?” She asked. Goku grinned.  
  
“Wanna do some sparring?” He asked eagerly, tapping his fists together. “Raditz has to rest, and Mom can hold Gohan, so… Please?” He pressed his hands together, looking like he was able to go onto his knees. If there was ground underneath him, anyway.  
  
Chichi sighed, but nodded. Gine floated over, and took little Gohan into her arms. Gine floated back, and Raditz joined her as they got clear.  
  
Chichi assumed a fighting stance not dissimilar to Gine’s, and ignited her own Ki Blade-Though this one was a bright, vibrant red. Kakarrot’s grin seemed ready to split his face as he assumed his own fighting stance. In a moment, they blasted for one another, and began throwing punches, kicks, elbow and knee strikes so quickly they soon were rendered a blur! Raditz gaped in astonishment as the two moved so quickly he could barely keep up!  
  
Gohan was watching intently as well, a bright smile on his youthful face.  
  
“Wow,” the little boy said, “that’s so cool… Hey Uncle Raditz! Can you move that fast?” He looked at Raditz in curiosity. Raditz scowled a bit.  
  
“Not yet,” he grumbled. “Can you?”  
  
His nephew shook his head.  
  
“No, not yet,” he said.  
  
Well, at least there was that, Raditz thought to himself as he focused his eyes. His little brother’s brat-er, son, wasn’t outstripping him in power. That would have just been embarrassing.  
  
“Try pushing more ki to your brain,” Gine advised her eldest son. “That might help.”  
  
“Er, sure,” Raditz said. He focused, and he felt… More light headed. Controlling his power so minutely was not something he was used to, so he struggled a bit. That said, all that focus paid off-He was able to see Kakarrot and Chichi as more than blurs.  
  
Kakarrot’s strikes at first seemed wild, little better than wild, aggressive flailing… Yet Raditz soon saw a method in his little brother’s apparent madness. He was herding his mate and boxing her in with his greater reach, forcing her to strike back-But only where he wanted her to. She thus had to either withdraw or be trapped, or carry through with the attack and try to adapt on the fly.  
  
Chichi’s own fighting style was far more graceful-Swinging her legs, arms and entire body in tight, controlled arcs. She thrust with her ki blade, never swung it-Always seeking a vulnerable point and trying to force Kakarrot to go on the defense.  
  
Raditz raised an eyebrow.  
  
“So… You approved of this match?” Raditz asked, not wanting to be impolite. Gine beamed, and helped adjust Gohan in her arms a bit.  
  
“Enthusiastically,” she said.  
  
“I can see why,” Raditz admitted softly.  
  
Chichi changed her tactics abruptly, boosting herself with a ki burst from her feet to push herself into a spinning hammer kick. Kakarrot managed to block the strike with his crossed arms, and let loose a powerful kick right into Chichi’s side. This did connect, and sent his wife tumbling down to the ground below. She landed hard, a boom announcing the formation of a cloud of dust that shot into the air. Raditz winced despite himself, and looked over at his mother and Gohan: Both seemed rather calm.  
  
“CHICHI! YOU OKAY?” Kakarrot shouted down. The dust cleared as a huge geyser of water erupted out of the crater. A coughing, mud covered figure emerged, getting up onto her feet. She wiped the mud from her face, and shot the fiercest, angriest glare she could up at Kakarrot.  
  
It was intense enough even Raditz had to consciously resist the urge to fly away. _Far_ away. His younger brother, however…  
  
“Hahahahahaha! Chichi! You look so funny!” Kakarrot laughed. Chichi growled, audible even up here.  
  
 **"GOKU!"** Chichi bellowed. Kakarrot shrugged as best he could, still holding his stomach as he laughed.  
  
"I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I can't help it! You look so _funny_! Hahahaha!"  
  
Gine sighed softly. Raditz was looking confused: His mother didn’t seem upset by this fight between Kakarrot and his mate. He opened his mouth, but Gine shook her head.  
  
“Wait for it,” she said. Gohan was just watching with amazement himself.  
  
Below, Chichi snarled.  
  
“OH YEAH?!” She pulled her hands back, forming them into a clamshell. Blue Ki sparked into existence and burned into a sphere between her palms.  
  
 **"KA... ME... HA... ME…”** She thrust her hands skywards, **“HAAAAA!"**  
  
A beam of bright blue ki erupted from her hands, and Kakarrot’s form was engulfed in the blast. When it passed, Kakarrot was still there… And covered in smoke as his torn, ragged clothing burnt. Raditz could see some small fires on his shoulders.  
  
Chichi herself gaped up in shock. Kakarrot was equally shocked, eyes wide. He descended down to the crater, which was filling up rapidly with hot water. He landed right in front of his wife, who was suddenly looking sheepish.  
  
"Oh God, Goku!” Chichi bawled, near tears, “I'm so sorry, I lost my temper..."  
  
"Chichi,” Kakarrot began, “how long have you known how to do that?"  
  
Chichi tapped her fingers together awkwardly.  
  
"Um... That was my first successful attempt…” She shrugged. “I was working on it for our anniversary in a few weeks, and now I've ruined the surprise-and your gi-"  
  
Kakarrot abruptly embraced his wife, and lifted her up into the air with a happy shout.  
  
“THAT WAS GREAT!”  
  
Chichi’s face burned bright red.  
  
"Oh, well... I mean, it's not as good as yours-" She began, but Kakarrot again interrupted her.  
  
“Are you kidding?! That was way better than my first Kamehameha!" He grinned. Chichi shyly smiled.  
  
"You think it was good?" She asked. Kakarrot nodded hard.  
  
“Oh yeah! You'll get even better with practice! I’m so proud of you!”  
  
"I did this for you, Goku. Just to make you happy,” Chichi admitted emotionally. Kakarrot’s smile became even warmer.  
  
"I'm so lucky to have you in my life Chichi..."  
  
Chichi’s expression changed from adoration, to _hunger._ The kind Raditz had only seen on ravenous alpha predators.  
  
“Gokuuu,” she cooed… Just before she pounced him into the hot water.  
  
"Now is the time to go do something else. For a while. Now," Gine said firmly, turning and flying away. Gohan was confused.  
  
“What are they doing?” He asked.  
  
“More sparring,” Gine said.  
  
“But-Can’t I watch?” Gohan asked. Gine shook her head.  
  
“No.”  
  
“But why?”  
  
“It’s very private,” she said. She looked over her shoulder. “Raditz! Come along!”  
  
Raditz turned to follow... Blushing heavily. He hadn’t meant to watch but Kakarrot and his mate were so… Shameless!  
  
\- - -  
  
They made it back to Kakarrot’s little house. Gohan was soon distracted from his parents’ “sparring” thanks to a local flying reptile of some kind. Soon he was chasing the creature around the yard, laughing happily. Raditz and Gine sat at the picnic table, watching him go. Raditz shook his head.  
  
“Mother,” he admitted, “I still have so many questions. About… How you got here. How you survived…”  
  
Gine smiled at her eldest son. “Well,” she said, “now is as good a time as any… What do you want to know first?”  
  
Raditz shook his head. “How did you even go with Kakarrot to this planet, anyway?”  
  
Gine shrugged, and smiled apologetically. “I was putting Kakarrot into the pod, when I accidentally hit the hatch closure button,” she admitted. “It bumped me into the ship, and the auto-launch sequence activated. By the time I’d gotten up into the seat, we were already out of the atmosphere.” She chuckled softly without any mirth. “It was the kind of mistake I made around mechanical devices all the time. Still do, really.”  
  
Raditz couldn’t help a short bark of laughter. “Hahaha…! That… That is funny,” he admitted. “Still, you could have sent out a distress beacon or a-”  
  
“Or anything else that might have alerted Freeza to our presence?” Gine asked sharply. Raditz winced.  
  
All right, that was a stupid question.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Raditz admitted. “I just… If I’d known you were alive, I’d have come here sooner. I wish I had… I wish you’d contacted me.”  
  
All those years of being Vegeta and Nappa’s slave, while Kakarrot was living a happy life on this planet… It ate at him, far more than he thought it would. He wanted to be angry at his mother, to blame her. Yet even here, he was cautious, letting her explain herself.  
  
“So do I,” Gine said, reaching out to grasp his larger hands in hers. “But please understand Raditz: Bardock told me that Freeza was going to kill _all_ _of us_. As far as I knew, you were dead too. I couldn’t risk _anything_ that might have led Freeza’s forces to us…” She closed her eyes tightly, tears peeking out at the corners. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.  
  
The pain in her voice robbed Raditz’s anger of any more power. He shook his head, and squeezed her hands between his own. He took a deep breath, and nodded slowly.  
  
“I know,” he said. “I know… It’s all right.”  
  
They sat there in silence for a long time, only the sounds of Gohan’s happy laughter and the strange winged lizard’s chirps filling the air. Raditz took another deep breath, and smiled at his mother.  
  
“You two though… You’ve become so strong on this planet,” he said. “How? How did that happen?”  
  
“If I’m honest,” Gine said with a sigh, “for the longest time I actively _avoided_ fighting of any kind. I did learn how to fight from Grandpa Gohan. He was the man who took Goku and I in when we first landed. He adopted us, as it were. He was a martial artist-A warrior who defended the weak.”  
  
Raditz nodded. Gine sucked in another breath, her thoughts wandering back to the past.  
  
“He gave Kakarrot his Earth name, by the way,” she explained. “Anyway, Goku went on lots of adventures, and learned more fighting arts. I was very proud of him, going out into the world and helping people. And how strong he grew. I thought to myself, if any problems arose… Any threats to the Earth, he could handle them.” She trailed off, then resumed with some effort.  
  
“Then came Demon King Piccolo… And suddenly? I couldn’t hide any longer…”  
  
\- - -


	4. Chapter 4

_Back after the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament..._

\- - -

The last twenty four hours had been like one of her nightmares. Gine had those every so often, even years after arriving on Earth. Sometimes it was coming home, seeing everyone she had grown to love and care about dead, with Freeza and his men just smiling over their corpses. Sometimes it was Bardock, screaming in agony and rage, as he was burned away by a gigantic energy ball while Freeza laughed maniacally.

Now? It was Krillin, dead in the arms of Goku, her son screaming in rage and grief and then flying off in fury. Everyone else's concerned talking all faded away as she held the still, deathly cold body in her arms. Poor Krillin. As much a son as her own, so pale and still...

Then she felt it: Ki sources. Stronger than any she had felt in _years._ And all of them malevolent, predatory, and _evil._ She shivered, her tail ramrod straight from the chill.

She could then sense her son's ki: Rising in his fury against one of the sources, so far away. He fought the beast, ending its life... And then another dark ki descended on him. Stronger, far more malevolent. She could feel Goku's ki rage, off balance, reckless... Then fading... Fading...!

"No," she breathed, her eyes widening. "No, no, no...!"

She got up, her own ki flaring in a furious aura. Rage surged through her veins like fire, and her Ki Blade manifested. She willed herself into the air, letting Krillin's body drop. She was going to blast through the roof, find her son-And then Master Roshi's hand was on her ankle.

"Gine, no!" Roshi cried. Gine looked back at Roshi, her eyes practically burning with her rage. Roshi stood his ground, looking right back at her.

"He killed my son-!"

"We don't know that!" Roshi insisted. "Goku's ki is faint, _yes..._ But _not gone. Not yet._ And even if he is dead, we can bring him back with the Dragonballs! And finally, you running off alone isn't going to help him any way!"

"I can end the monster who did this!" She snarled, and began to lift Roshi into the air. He grunted and shook his head. Grandpa Gohan stepped up, holding up a hand.

"Gine, we have a plan," Gohan said quickly. "A technique that is sure to stop this monster! But we can't use it _without you._ We can save Goku, Krillin- _Everyone,_ but you running off _won't help._ Please."

Gine gritted her teeth, still floating towards the roof. Roshi still held on. She shut her eyes tightly... And then slowly descended back to the floor. Roshi let her go. She sucked in a deep breath, and glared at Roshi.

"What do we need to do?" She asked softly.

\- - -

Bulma had a back up Dragon Radar, as Goku had taken one of her devices to track down Krillin's killer (who had a Dragonball). With Roshi, Tien, Gohan and the eager Chiaotzu, they had quickly obtained two Dragonballs as bait. The creature that was doing this, a 'King Piccolo', was going to want the Dragonballs to restore his own power and strength to rule the world. His malevolent ki was proof enough of his intentions, and steeled Gine's resolve to follow the plan.

That said... She had insisted on one change.

So they were now waiting for the monster in an abandoned factory complex, rain falling from the darkened sky. The acrid smell of petrichor filled the air, as rain drops plinked against broken glass and discarded pieces of metal. The factory was dark and forboding, partially demolished and gaping like it was filled with rotting wounds. She stood in an alley in between two buildings, out in the open. The rain fell on her, the only clean thing in the entire area.

She took a deep breath.

Elsewhere, nearby, Gohan and Roshi were ready. Tien and Chiaotzu had been left behind, as they should be. This was no place for children.

It was up to her to fight King Piccolo directly, and keep him here. And she was going to do just that.

She raised her head as something triggered her ki senses... That same malevolence and hunger. It was _him._

The tall, green, leathery man dressed in garish purples descended from on high, ignoring the rain. His yellow eyes locked onto the form of Gine with contempt and amusement as he came into a hover several meters above her. He laughed, like a creaking, dusty old machine shifting.

"What's this? A lone woman?" King Piccolo asked mockingly. "Who are you?"

Gine sucked in another deep, angry breath. She glared up into his eyes, defiant and unafraid-Just _furious._ Her ki flared her aura furiously, as she ignited her Ki Saber from her hand. It buzzed loudly as the rain drops were vaporized upon touching it.

"I am Son Gine," she stated. "Mother of Son Kakarrot Goku. The boy you _killed."_

King Piccolo laughed. "A vengeful parent? Ah... I have met so many of those. They all start to run together after a while." He grinned, baring his sharp teeth. "I have forgotten any specifics about them... As I expect to forget any specifics about _you._ You really want to fight me, woman?"

Gine's eyes narrowed. She had never felt such _fury._ Deep inside her, that Saiyan bloodlust had always been so weak, so timid... Not _now._ Now it was strong.

"Fight you? No... I want to _kill you,"_ Gine seethed. She flew up high, closing the distance between them in an instant! She had time to see his eyes widen in shock-Just before she rammed her Ki Blade through his stomach, and her bare fist into his _face._ He was blasted down, smashing through the roof of one of the near buildings. The force of the impact shattered all of the remaining glass panes and kicked up a massive dust cloud. Gine shot down like a meteor, plunging through the hole in the roof to sent another fist into his stomach. The monster howled in rage, and his purple blood erupted all over her. She didn't even close her eyes, the stinging fluid not slowing her down.

" _IMPUDENCE!"_ King Piccolo roared, and his arms extended out, grabbing Gine's shoulders. The shove threw her back, through a gigantic rusting turbine! She swung her ki blade wildly, forcing the King to let her go lest he lose a hand. His arms reeled back, and two ki blasts erupted from his palms. Gine, though stunned, managed to deflect one as she swung her blade-The other struck her in the stomach, blasting her out of the wreckage of the turbine and into another massive machine! She was embedded in it, and coughed, tasting blood in her mouth.

"Such power," Piccolo snarled. "I see where the brat got his strength..." He pulled his arms back, and Gine pulled herself out of the wreckage, panting hard to catch her breath. King Piccolo grinned again, muttering in... What?

"Are you... Is that Namekian?" She gasped. The chip in her head that let her translate any language, standard for all Saiyans since King Cold conquered them, identified that language as Namekian. And now that she thought about it, the resemblance to those legendary aliens was great. Not that Gine was an expert, but learning that Dragonballs were real had jogged a lot of memories loose.

"Is that _what?"_ King Piccolo asked. He shook his head. "Your paltry distractions will not aid you!" He fired off another ki blast, and Gine dodged this. She flared her aura and shot right for Piccolo, her Ki Blade burning an enraged, brilliant blue! She thrust for his chest again, but the big green demon dodged, unleashing a storm of ki blasts! She flew above the shots, looping and twisting through the air like a starfighter evading anti-air fire!

"GINE!" Roshi shouted. "GINE! THE PLAN!"

Gine gritted her teeth, and threw all of her energy into _speed._ She flew through the fire, taking two shots but still barreling on! She then flared her aura to bring herself to a stop, and swung around-Both of her powerful legs putting a kick into King Piccolo's side!

The demonic Namekian roared in rage as he was blasted through the wall, and into the next building. Gine flew after him as he began to get back up, and dove from above, aiming her ki blade for his shoulder! She swung hard!

_**TSEW! THUD!** _

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" King Piccolo bellowed in fury, reaching up to grasp the stump where his right arm used to be. Gine jumped in front of him, breathing hard, as her blade burned brilliantly. Roshi and Gohan ran up, and Roshi held his arms up. Ki surged through the air, as a green whirlwind formed around them.

"Mafuba... Mafuba... Mafuba...!" Roshi chanted, and Piccolo was being pulled towards them. Stretched like taffy towards the humble rice cooker. Gine panted hard, trying to catch her breath... King Piccolo screaming, his ki flaring to try and escape... There was a flare of ki, right behind her-!

She jumped up, avoiding the ki blast narrowly. Her eyes widened in horror as it shot right for Roshi.

"ROSHI!" She bellowed. The shot struck home in Roshi's chest, and the aged Turtle Hermit stumbled and gasped in pain. He clutched at his chest, even as Gohan tried to keep the technique going!

King Piccolo's form, that had been heading for the rice cooker... Bounced off, and emerged back in his full form nearby. He grinned savagely at the malformed monstrosity: A fat, bloated monster.

"Drum! Very well done," King Piccolo said. "And now..." He roared in pain, and a new arm _burst_ from his stump, covered in juices but fully healed. Gine snarled as she shot right for King Piccolo, Ki Blade burning furiously.

"Gohan get Roshi out of here!" Gine shouted. "I'LL KILL HIM MYSELF!"

King Piccolo flashed his savage smile, and opened his mouth. Ki erupted from his mouth in a beam, blasting a torrent of death! Gine flew upwards above the blast, and aimed the blade right between the demon's eyes!

_Ki... Goku's ki flared up, briefly..._ She hesitated in her strike, and the monster tilted his head up enough for it to connect!

The blast sent her tumbling away, burning and agonizing! She was slammed into another large, heavy machine, a sharp piece driving into her skin hard enough it pierced! She gasped, and coughed hard, blood oozing out of her mouth. Piccolo and his spawn floated above her, as she panted and struggled against the mess trapping her.

"It is a pity you chose to resist me," Piccolo said with a smirk, "you would have made a good servant." He slammed a foot into her face, and she grit her teeth against the pain. He rammed another fist into her stomach, and she heaved hard. "But now, it is time to end things-"

A flare of brilliant blue ki erupted behind them, and King Piccolo and Drum turned. Gohan stood there, blue ki burning in his palms!

" **KAME... HAME... HAAAAAAAAA!"** The blast flew for King Piccolo and Drum, but both flew upwards through the tattered roof to evade it. The blast carried on, blowing through all of the supports and dealing the building's superstructure a fatal blow. The entire world around them groaned, screamed, and rattled as smokestacks and walls began to collapse. Gine gritted her teeth against the agony in every part of her body, and braced as the entire factory collapsed on top of her, only one thought on her mind:

_Goku... I'm so sorry..._

_\- - -_

_Granted, the suspense is rather ruined since you know that Gine survives, but still stay tuned for part 2._

_Also, enjoy this omake!_

_During the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament..._

__Well... That had been humiliating. Young Chiaotzu had been so sure he could win! Master Shen was so disappointed. He sat glumly in the locker room behind the fighting ring, the cheers of the crowd still ringing outside for Krillin. It seemed like Son Goku and his friends were nothing but trouble.

Someone stopped in front of him. Their thoughts were quiet, but feminine and reassuring. Chiaotzu looked up... And _up_...

Long legs. Beautiful curves. A large, shapely bust. And a kind, beautiful face underneath spiky black hair. A long tail flicked behind the gorgeous woman, as she smiled gently down at him.

"Huh...?" Chiaotzu managed.

The woman reached down, and pulled Chiaotzu up into a hug. His entire face burned bright red, as the part of his brain not overwhelmed by boobies! was impressed with how strong she was!

"It's all right, child," she said soothingly, in a voice that had to have come from an angel. "You did very well! You are a strong little warrior. Keep up your training and you'll be just fine!" She beamed at him, and let him down-All too soon, in his opinion. Chiaotzu swallowed, and nodded numbly.

As far as Chiaotzu was concerned, she was The Most Beautiful Woman Ever. Period. All others were done. Forever.

"MOM! Hey Mom!"

Chiaotzu looked over at the intruder, his eyes narrowed. Darn it, that Son Goku had to interrupt everything good-Wait, Mom?!

"Hey sweetie!" The Most Beautiful Woman Ever laughed, embracing her son happily. He hugged back, laughing, cuddling with her. Goku looked at Chiaotzu and grinned.

"Oh, hey Chiaotzu! That was a funny match you had with Krillin! But it was also neat! I'd love to fight you sometime!"

"It would be interesting to spar with you, if your master would approve?" The Most Beautiful Woman in the World said. Chiaotsu, still blushing, nodded eagerly.

"Y-Yes! Yes! Absolutely!"

"Good!" The Most Beautiful Woman in the World said, beaming. "I'm Gine, by the way."

The angel had a name! Chiaotzu nodded furiously.

"I-I'm Chiaotzu! ... You knew that." He got up to bow... And ended up flipping himself into the nearby wall. "Ow!"

"Ha! You're funny, Chiaotzu," Goku said with a laugh. One his mother shared. She reached out and helped Chiaotzu back up. His blush only intensified.

"Y-Yeah... Funny," he mumbled.

"Come on Goku, let's get ready for your next match," Gine said warmly. Her son took her hand and they happily walked off. Chiaotzu watched them go, his eyes locked onto Gine's swaying, beautiful... Tail. Yes. Her tail. Because it was unusual. Nothing else.

Tearing pouring from his eyes, Chiaotzu clenched his fists and looked to the heavens. __

_I'm sorry Master Shen... I can't continue to follow the path of the Solitary Crane! For I..._

_Have found..._

_MY WAIFU!  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_Flashback continued..._

* * *

Gine started awake, the pain lessened significantly. She was in a soft bed of linen, and her keen nose smelling hospital grade cleaning products. She took deep breaths, pure oxygen from a tight plastic breathing mask flowing into her lungs. She looked around wildly.

Plain white walls. A metallic floor. Beeping machines. And a startled old man with a mustache, a cigarette, and a cat hanging off his shoulder. He blinked several times, as Gine took deep breaths to calm and center herself.

"Miss Son?" Asked Doctor Briefs. "How are you feeling?"

"I... Where am I?" She demanded. "Where's Gohan?"

"You're at Capsule Corp," he said, reaching out a cautious hand to rest on hers. She took it, stilling her rapidly beating heart. "Bulma brought you here. She was trying to find you and Goku... Chiaotzu managed to dig you and Master Gohan out."

"Chiaotzu?" Gine gasped. She remembered... The little white faced psychic boy. "What... What happened? How long has it been?"

Doctor Briefs looked grave. "I'm sorry. King Piccolo used the Dragonballs to wish himself to go back to his prime. Chiaotzu tried to interfere but..." He winced. "Piccolo killed him. Master Roshi did not survive either. And now King Piccolo has taken over the world. He overthrew the world government. As for how long it's been..." He shook his head.

"Three weeks," he stated like a funeral bell tolling the dead. Gine took deep breaths, again having to focus on calming herself.

"And Goku?" She whispered. Doctor Briefs sighed, shaking his head.

"We... We haven't heard anything," he said. "Now fortunately, King Piccolo is rather behind on technology. We've been able to communicate with many others, seeing how we can resist this but... His sheer power makes things difficult."

Gine slowly nodded. "I... I see," she managed. She rubbed her chest. "All right... All right..."

A nearby screen lit up. Bulma's face appeared on it, and Gine could see and feel her desperation.

" _Dad, we've got a problem!"_ Bulma cried. " _Turn on the news!"_

Doctor Briefs quickly activated another screen, and the demonic face of King Piccolo leered out to the entire world. His skin was a brighter green, smoother, and was taut with muscle and power. His sharp teeth gleamed as he spoke.

" _It seems that Capsule Corporation has been rebelling against the new order. Fomenting rebellion and dissent! And worse than that, they have been harboring a fugitive from my divine justice!"_ A photograph of her, from one of the previous World Martial Tournaments, flashed across the screen. When she was hugging Goku after he'd lost his match with Jackie Chun-In reality, Master Roshi.

" _So... Either you give up not only the Briefs and this rebel,"_ King Piccolo sneered, " _or I will destroy all of West City. You have one hour."_

The screen switched off. Doctor Briefs looked to his daughter, chewing thoughtfully on his cigarette.

"Bulma," he began. "How soon can we launch the _Panchy I?"_

Gine stared. "The what?" She asked. Bulma shook her head.

" _Dad, even if we launched it, we'd be shot down in the boost phase,"_ she said. " _And the forcefield tech... I'm not willing to bet our lives on it just yet."_

"I am," Doctor Briefs said. "We can launch enough decoys and drones, we can cloud their sensors. And how many of them will actually fire on us? Their own people?"

" _I'm not concerned about them! I'm more concerned with Piccolo and his children!"_ Bulma shouted. " _Yamcha almost died fighting one of them! We have to get out of here, but all our tech isn't going to stop Piccolo when he gets serious!"_

As the two geniuses began to argue about how to escape this situation, Gine found her mind going back. Far back into the past, before even Raditz had been born.

She was on a planet, conquering it for Freeza with Bardock and his squad. Their entire squad was heavily injured, as the inhabitants had proven to be a lot tougher and more clever than they thought. Even worse, there wasn't a moon so they couldn't go Oozaru to even the odds. She was the only combat capable one left, with a badly injured Bardock alongside. She would never forget how Bardock had looked at her, his face bloody, his arm broken. Despite the desperate situation, he had been so focused and calm.

" _Gine,"_ he said, " _I have an idea. It's something I've been working on for a while..."_

Gine had frowned deeply, knowing exactly what he was refering to.

" _That fake moon technique?"_ She asked. " _You've never been able to do it before... And now you're low on power! How do you know if you can even do it?"_

"I _t's not a matter of whether I can or cannot do it, Gine,"_ Bardock ground out, "i _t's that I_ must. _But I need time to pull it off."_

He had then looked at her intently. She started.

" _I... I'm just a scout,"_ she insisted. " _I'm not a warrior, I'm just-I can't-!"_

" _Gine,"_ Bardock had barked out. She had started, and his next words were much more gentle. " _Gine... We need time. You're the only one who can get us it..."_

Gine took a deep breath. She slid out of the bed, standing a bit unsteadily on her feet. She adjusted her hospital gown, and held her hand in between the arguing Bulma and Doctor Briefs. Both looked up at her. She smiled, a bit grimly.

"Get me some clothes," she said. "I'll draw attention away from you when you launch. I'll lead him away."

Bulma's jaw dropped. " _But-But King Piccolo and his kids! They'll kill you!"_

"Maybe," Gine said softly, "but before that, I can get you the time you need to escape."

"It's suicide!" Doctor Briefs insisted. Gine shook her head.

"I can find any surviving martial artists and we can continue the resistance," she said, "but you? You can't help us if you're dead. And we _need you._ To find the Dragonballs and to fix all of this. I can buy you the time you need."

_"But-But what if you can't even do that?!"_

Bulma cried. Gine shook her head, a scarred face smiling in her mind. A smile she soon wore herself.

"It's not a matter of whether I can or cannot," she stated, with more confidence than she'd felt in a while. "It's that I _must."_

* * *

Gine had taken one of Pauchy's pink jogging suits, and made her way slowly up to the rooftop of the Capsule Corporation building. Her ki senses already screamed the presence of one of Piccolo's children: Flying high over West City towards her. She took a deep breath, ignoring the lingering pain in her ribs as best she could. The sky was clear and sunny, with a gentle breeze washing over her. The local areas were evacuated-Thousands of people clearing out the area and leaving the buildings around them deserted.

It was almost peaceful.

While distracted, she hadn't lost the use of her other senses, and she immediately grimaced as she felt two other ki sources behind her. Familiar ones.

"You two should be helping Bulma and her family escape," she stated. She could feel Yamcha wince.

"Wow, so that's the power of the 'Mom voice'," Yamcha said. Grandpa Gohan chuckled.

"You should see it paired with the look-Oh, there it is," the old man commented, as Gine looked over her shoulder with a glare. Both men were in their usual clothing, still bearing bandages underneath their garments. Both looked and felt like they were barely able to stay on their feet.

"You two: Get to the ship. _Now,"_ Gine ordered. Yamcha shook his head slowly, as Gohan merely smiled.

"A true hero of the desert never turns his back on a friend in need," Yamcha stated, shining a bright smile at her. Gohan shook his head.

"And I can't just let one of my students sacrifice herself," Gohan said. "Not when she has so many more years of life ahead of her."

Gine gritted her teeth. Why did they have to be so…?

"I'm the one with the best chance of making it out alive," Gine ground out. "I'm the most combat capable one. Bulma and her family will need you-"

"And you need us," Yamcha argued, clenching a fist and shaking it. "You can't do this alone!"

Piccolo's son was getting closer. She could just see him coming over the horizon. She growled softly, and looked back at Yamcha and Gohan. They didn't move, standing their ground. She took a deep breath, and ignited her Ki Saber.

"All right," she said, "but you stay back. And focus more on protecting the Briefs than me."

Yamcha assumed a fighting stance, as did Grandpa Gohan. Gohan nodded.

"If they need it more," Gohan said. Gine sighed.

"Stubborn old fool," she stated. Gohan chuckled.

"Got that from my master," he said.

"So did I," Gine replied, a ghost of a smile on her face. She turned, focused her ki, and flew up into the air. The massive form of Piccolo's unholy offspring soon came into view: Drum, flaring his aura hard as he heaved his bulk towards her. He paused, hovering, as he smirked at Gine.

"Hello, human woman!" He sneered. "I remember you! Tried to kill my father, and _failed."_

Gine glared back. "I won't fail this time," she promised. She lunged for him, her ki blade burning as she thrust for his chest! Drum flared his ki, narrowly avoiding the strike as he boosted out of the way. He pointed his fingers at her, and his ki flared furiously.

_"Dengekiha!"_ A blast of lightning left his fingers, and connected with Gine. She howled in pain as the amperage ran through her, making her shake and spasm as she tried to stay airborne!

"GAAAHHHHH!" She shrieked, her ki blade flickering out like a fading lightbulb. Drum laughed, his grotesque voice audible even above her own screams.

"You're much slower," he sneered, "not fast enough anymore, are you-?"

The right side of his body lit up like a strobe light, and he squawked as steam erupted from all over his skin. He fell back, distracted, as he broke the blast. Gine flipped back, focusing her ki to regain altitude. Drum snarled, and charged up another Ki blast as he targeted the Briefs Compound. Gine could just barely make out some turrets that had emerged-Energy weapons of some kind, obviously.

"Laser blast, huh?" He hissed. "You can't hurt me with that-!"

The bright blue light of a Kamehameha beam erupted from below, shooting right for him. Drum threw himself to the side and narrowly avoided it, sneering down at a rooftop-Where Gine could see Grandpa Gohan. But she couldn't see Yamcha.

"You?! Pathetic old man, I'll-" Drum started, just as an orange form leaped up high behind him. Yamcha had his hands back in a clamshell, blue ki already burning between his palms. Drum turned his head and glared, preparing another ki blast. "Cute trick, but it won't-!"

Gine charged him from behind, forming her Ki Saber and slamming it into Drum's back. The beast roared, and Gine flipped herself around to kick him forward, towards Yamcha. The scarred martial artist thrust his hands forward, sweat steaming away from his brow from his exertion.

" _HAAAAAAAA!"_

The blue beam erupted from Yamcha's palms, striking Drum dead on in his massive belly. He was sent tumbling away, careening for the ground like an out of control aircraft. Gine grunted, and fired off another ki blast, nudging the massive monster towards the open, deserted street rather than a building!

The son of Piccolo though managed to right himself, screaming right for the Briefs compound. Gine flew down to grab the falling Yamcha, and his frantic arm waving made it easy to grasp him by the wrist. Yamcha smiled up at her in relief.

"Thanks Gine-san-AH?"

Gine spun around as fast as she could, timing things just right…!

"WHA-WHA-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU-?!"

"GET HIM!" Gine shouted, letting Yamcha fly at the flying Drum. Yamcha kept screaming as he flew right for the green target. Still, Yamcha was a quick study, and while being unable to fly, he was able to adjust his course by flaring his ki aura. He closed on Drum, closer, closer…!

Drum was almost to the wall surrounding the Briefs compound, his massive arms outstretched. He needed only a moment to get past it and right into the building, killing hundreds. Gine winced…

Drum then slammed into a green field of energy, the moment he hit the wall around the Capsule Corporation building. He reared back, the forcefield repelling him and leaving him confused.

"Wha-?!"

And then Yamcha slammed into him from behind, ramming him back into the forcefield and smashing his face against it. Drum's roar of agony was audible even far above, as Gine descended fast. She landed near the heap that was Yamcha atop Drum, the green Namekian mutant smashed into the pavement. She zipped over, and grabbed Yamcha's shoulder as he was face down against the monster.

"Yamcha? Yamcha!" Gine shouted. Yamcha groaned, and looked up. He gave a thumbs up.

"Hey… Got 'im," Yamcha managed, his missing teeth very obvious in his wide grin. Gine grinned back.

"Good work," she said. She looked back, as Grandpa Gohan ran up. The old man was panting as well, looking out of breath. "Thank you."

The old martial arts master chuckled. "I do have to avenge my master. It's tradition," he said wryly. He looked up at the still faintly glowing forcefield around Capsule Corporation, and whistled. "Such incredible technology."

"Yeah," Yamcha panted, "Bulma said it should be able to handle this guy. The laser shot she fired also worked pretty well."

Gine nodded, hope surging inside her. Maybe they were injured and tired, but even so…

Then King Piccolo's terrible ki fell upon them all, and she gasped in shock. Grandpa Gohan trembled a bit, as Yamcha gaped in horror.

"Is that…?" He asked. Gine turned back, and saw the tall, green form in purple garb she had seen on the television. He was just floating above them, a cruel smile on his face.

"I really must thank you, Gine was it?" King Piccolo asked cruelly. "And the old man. You revealed to me a fundamental truth: I am not as strong as I once was. New challenges reinvigorate the spirit of the old." His smile widened, his dagger like teeth dripping with saliva.

"As well as looking into the ancient texts of you human martial artists. For such an inferior species, you can be quite clever," he hissed. "Inspiration comes in many forms."

He landed, several meters away. Gine ignited her Ki Blade, and lunged for him! She wasn't willing to let him get any ideas, spring any traps-!

King Piccolo threw his hands up, and his ki flared all over his body.

" _EVIL EXPLOSION!"_ He roared, and ki erupted from every point of his body, expanding in a dome-shaped blast! Gine was knocked back, slammed against the forcefield as Yamcha and Grandpa Gohan were blown away. Yamcha was slammed into the forcefield with her, while Grandpa Gohan tumbled into the wall of a nearby building, cratering it.

The hellish maelstrom ended, and Gine and Yamcha slammed back into the pavement. Yamcha moaned softly and became still. His ki was still there though, although very weak. Gine's own condition wasn't much better, as she felt one of her still healing ribs snap. She forced herself not to curl up, and tried to breath carefully.

"Nnngh… Haa…!"

King Piccolo chuckled, slowly striding forward. Gine groaned as she pushed herself up, her limbs shaking. She managed to look up at the evil Namekian, heading for… His son?

"F-Father," Drum groaned, reaching up a clawed hand. "You've… Saved me…"

Piccolo laughed wickedly… Before kicking Drum up against the forcefield. The mutant Namekian cried out in pain and shock, before he slammed back into the same crater he'd been lying in. He looked up weakly, agony and confusion on his face.

"F-Father… Why…?"

"Like all of your siblings, you have failed me," Piccolo hissed. "First Tambourine, then Cymbal, and now? _You_. Unlike them though, you will serve me better in another way."

He stretched out his arm, and his clawed hand pressed against Drum's chest. His ki burned bright white, as Drum's entire body lit up with power. Gine stared in disbelief.

_That technique… What is it…?_

Drum screamed, a heartwrenching sound that made Gine feel for the beast despite his crimes. Then, in a second, Drum vanished into King Piccolo, slurped into him like a drink through a straw. King Piccolo took deep breaths, and clenched his fists. He grinned, and then roared as he flared his aura at full power. Gine gaped in disbelief.

_That power… It's unreal… He-He absorbed his own son for his power?!_

"Ahhh… Yes," Piccolo chuckled. He looked over at Gine. "You humans rely on your children to continue your line. But I? I am not burdened by such a weakness. My children will ensure _I_ live on… _Forever."_ He raised his hand up, sparks and electric arcs crackling from his fingers.

"You, however? You end here. _Now. MASENKOOO!"_

The yellow blast erupted like the sun rising, and Gine grit her teeth. It was as if everything was slowed to a crawl, the energy inching towards her. She could feel its sheer power, the intensity-It was more than she could hope to withstand. Her only, faint hope was that maybe, _maybe,_ her body would take enough of the blast to protect Yamcha.

Giving him… Maybe a few seconds more life? Minutes? She didn't know. But it was all she could do.

It was all her husband could have done, in the end.

_I'll see you soon, Bardock… And Goku… Kakarrot… Radit-_

" _ **KIKOHOOOOOO**!"_

A massive wave of yellow ki struck the Masenko blast from the side, and sent it careening up into the sky. King Piccolo looked as surprised as she felt-Which was probably why he missed a small orange form kicking him in the side and sending him flying. The Namekian bellowed in shock and rage as he slammed into a nearby building, making it crumble around him and send up a cloud of dust. Gine felt tears erupt from her eyes as her eyes resolved the form of…

_"GOKU!"_

Goku turned and beamed happily at his mother. "MOM! And-" He gasped. "GRANDPA!"

"I've got him," Tien called. His tall, bald form was already tending to the downed old man. "He's okay!"

"Okay! Hugs for you first!" Goku called. He closed the distance between them and hugged Gine tightly, crushing the air out of her lungs. It was painful and agonizing… But she hugged him back anyway.

"I-I'm so… Glad to see you alive," she managed.

"You too!" Goku said cheerfully. "Oh hey! Yamcha's here too! Hi Yamcha!"

"H-Hey," Yamcha managed weakly.

"Goku!" Tien shouted. "Remember the beans!"

Goku started, and nodded. "Oh right! I almost forgot!" He rummaged in a bag slung on his belt, and pulled out… A small green bean. Gine blinked at him.

"Goku, what-?"

"It's a Senzu bean!" Goku said cheerfully. "They heal you real good! Got them from a talking cat in a floating white saucer! Have one, quick!"

Gine slowly blinked. She blinked again. "... Okay," she managed. She let Goku stick the bean into her mouth, and she chewed it up. She swallowed… And in a split second, her ribs were healed, her fatigue vanished, her bruises disappeared, and her ki surged through her! She was on her feet before she even knew it, still hugging Goku to her body.

Gine stared in amazement at her son, who just beamed up at her.

"Toldja!" He said. "Oh right! Yamcha! Senzu Beam!" He dropped down, and helped Yamcha eat the bean. In a second, he was back up, feeling his chest and stomach up in disbelief.

"Wow! Okay, nice! Magic beans!" Yamcha cheered. "AWESOME!"

"Just don't swallow them whole, or a beansteak will grow in you!" Goku warned. Grandpa Gohan and Tien walked up, the former now fully healed like the others. Gine smiled, and turned to the collapsed building King Piccolo had landed in.

"He's going to be back up any minute," she said, "anyone have a plan?"

"Punch him!" Goku cried.

"... And then?" Yamcha prompted. Goku punched his palm.

"Punch him _harder!"_

Tien shook his head. He looked at Gine. "I know the Mafuba," he said. "I can do it-"

"And die?" Grandpa Gohan asked, shaking his head. "If anyone should make that sacrifice, it should be me. I should finish what Roshi started. You can just wish me back with the Dragonballs-"

"Like hell you are, old man," Tien ground out. "You're not sacrificing yourself for us! Again!"

"That was to protect you! It's what the old should do for the young!" Gohan argued.

Yamcha coughed.

"Maybe we could come up with a plan that doesn't have anyone dying?" He suggested. Goku jumped back up.

"Punch him _even harder!_ Also a lot of times! Like a hundred times!" Goku enthused.

Gine sighed and closed her eyes. Goddamnit, they were this bad about any after tournament meal. Without Master Roshi to assume the lead due to his age, they were divided and directionless.

She then opened her eyes and cleared her throat.

" _ENOUGH_!" She shouted, and everyone stopped arguing. She shook her head. "I have an idea," she said, "We'll all have to work together so no one will die. But we can do it, if you do exactly as I say. Unless anyone has any better ideas?"

She got no argument. She slowly nodded. "Then we'll go with my plan."

As much as she had never asked for the job of defending this planet, it was now hers.

Someone had to do it.

* * *

King Piccolo burst out of the rubble with a loud roar, another Evil Explosion scouring the remnants and several nearby buildings in his rage. He lowered his arms, his eyes burning with a demonic fire. He was trying to stretch his senses out, clearly trying to find them.

Gine turned to Goku, and nodded. Her son beamed.

"Let's go," Gine said. She burst out of the nearest cover, and flew right for King Piccolo!

Her Ki Saber burned bright blue, as she feinted at his head then slashed for one of his arms!

Piccolo threw a ki blast at her, but she evaded above it. From behind the tall Namekian, Goku's form charged! He swung the Power Pole at King Piccolo's legs. The Namekian barely jumped above it, and had to fly to the side as Goku fired a ki blast. King Piccolo snorted in derision, as Gine closed in and swung her Ki Saber fast and furiously!

"What do you think this will prove?! I'm far stronger than all of you put together!" King Piccolo said in mockery. "How pathetic are you?!"

"Not as pathetic as someone who eats his kids to get stronger!" Goku shouted, launching a kick at the back of Piccolo's head. The Namekian swung his arms out, extending them like deadly whips! Both Gine and Goku flew up over the dangerous arms, and fired ki blasts in unison.

Piccolo took both hits head on, snarling in pain. He wasn't hurt much, but it was a start. He opened his mouth like a hungry snake, and a massive ki blast erupted into the air!

Gine and Goku evaded, flying in opposite directions. King Piccolo tried to fly after them, but a bald figure flew up right in front of him. Tien held his open hands out over his forehead.

" _SOLAR FLARE!"_ He bellowed, and the ki flashed in front of King Piccolo's face. The Namekian roared in pain, his massive hands covering his blinded eyes.

"YOU LITTLE-HOW DARE YOU-!" King Piccolo roared angrily. He staggered back, and now it was Yamcha's turn. The orange clad bandit charged at full power, his fists and feet flashing.

" _WOLF FANG HURRICANE!"_ Yamcha targeted the demon king's nose, elbows, and ankles with every bit of his power! While it did little damage, almost nothing, it made King Piccolo swing blindly after the nimble fighter. Yamcha evaded, as Tien flew back behind. He formed a triangle with his hands, and focused all of his power into his next attack.

" _KI! KO! HO!"_ Every bit of his power was pushed into the blast, and King Piccolo was sent flying into the forcefield. The green energy barrier glowed brightly, burning like the sun, as every bit of energy the Briefs could muster was pumped into it.

It then vanished, as King Piccolo collapsed onto the fence, crushing it underneath him. He snarled, and stood up. He roared in fury, unleashing ki blasts in every direction.

"COME OUT! COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELVES, COWARDS!"

A manhole underneath him burst open. It was just enough for him to look down, and see an old man down below. A familiar old man, with a rice cooker standing in the water underneath him. His eyes widened.

"No! _NO!"_

Gohan raised his hand, and his ki flared furiously. _"MAFUBA!"_

King Piccolo was pulled into the familiar cyclone, and struggled to free himself. He bellowed in anger, his ki trying to resist the pull of the technique!

"NO! NO! YOU WON'T TAKE ME! YOU WON'T _TAKE MEEEE!"_

Gohan struggled, harder, harder… Then let go of the technique, sending King Piccolo smashing into a nearby rubble pile. The Namekian, panting, struggled back to his feet. Gohan got back out of the manhole, looking quite weak. Tien and Yamcha got to him, helping him up.

Piccolo looked back over his shoulder, sneering with wicked delight.

"You… Ha! HAHAHAHA!" Piccolo spat. He slowly got up to his feet, and held up his arms. "You failed _again!_ And now, nothing will stop me from killing you all and ruling this world for ALL ETERNIT-"

He paused. Yamcha then smirked.

"Forgot something, didn't you?"

"As it turns out," Gohan gasped, "the Mafuba blinds the target to ki for a while after... Just long enough…"

" _KA ME… HA ME...!"_ Gine and Goku bellowed together.

Familiar blue ki burned behind Piccolo. His eyes widened. He swung around, charging up for the Masenko-!

" _HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

Twin Kamehameha Waves engulfed King Piccolo, blasting him upwards. He fought back, mustering as much of his ki as he could… And even as he was pushed skyward, he focused his power!

"MASENKOOOOO!" The Demon King roared, pushing back against the double Kamehameha! Gine and Goku, their hands nearly joined together, poured more power into the technique to fight against Piccolo's attack! Their beams pushed back and forth, a furious struggle for victory!

"YOU… INSECTS! YOU CAN'T DEFEAT MEEEE!" He roared. Gine and Goku struggled, Gine stumbling backwards as Goku pushed back. Yamcha ran to their side, and charged up his own attack.

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAA!"

The third beam joined the two others, pushing harder, harder…! King Piccolo's aura flared as he tried to fight back, the full might of his power roaring out of him against the beam…!

But it was all for nought. He was exhausted from the Mafuba, and up against three fresh fighters, united in purpose.

"YOU CAN'T… I AM… DEMON… KING… PICCOLOOOOO!"

The energies collided, and exploded in a gigantic blast that shattered windows across the entire city. Debris flew all over the area, as the wind howled through the streets. Gine, Goku and Yamcha covered their faces as Tien covered Grandpa Gohan with his body.

Gine was left breathing hard, looking up into the sky as the smoke cleared… And a battered green form still remained.

She hissed. "Damnit," she grunted. King Piccolo was breathing hard, his eyes wide and mad with rage. He was covered in purple blood and burns, like a ragged puppet barely hanging up by his strings. His aura flared again, burning like fire.

" _YOU DARE…?! IF YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP RESISTING, I'LL JUST PUT YOU ALL DOWN!"_ He charged up his ki, and thunder crackled out of his hands. He formed a sphere of ki, charging up. " _YOUR CITY, YOUR CONTINENT… YOUR ENTIRE PLANET IS DEAD!"_

He raised his arms up over himself, the sphere of ki wobbling and crackling with unstable energy. It was massive, fueled by his rage! Gine powered up for another Kamehameha, desperate to finish him off-

" _HAAAAAAAAA!"_

Her son beat her do it though-But not in the way she thought he would. He had fired off the blast from both his hands, right at the ground-And was ascending faster than a rocket!

"GOKU!" Gine bellowed.

A sonic boom erupted over the city as Goku shot right at King Piccolo. The Namekian tried to bring down his arms, unleash his final doom upon them all-!

_"MASENKOORRRAAAAAGGGHHHHH!"_

The massive yellow blast arced upwards, safely into the infinity of space. Goku was descending rapidly, behind King Piccolo. And King Piccolo...

"Bwarggh…!" Piccolo's mouth drooled blood, as he stared down in horror and rage at the massive hole through his torso. His eyes rolled back into his head as he fell, tumbling end over end. He had one last burst of ki, his aura flaring… _Something_ erupted from his mouth, but the flash of ki was blinding… And then the corpse hit the pavement, cracking and splintering.

Gine lowered her arm that had been blocking her face, and gaped in amazement. She cautiously walked up to the broken, mangled corpse. She probed it with her ki senses, carefully, her ki blade ignited just in case. Yamcha had his own ki blast charged up too, as Tien remained ready to unleash a Solar Flare.

Nobody said or did anything for what seemed like a small eternity… Then…

"WAAAAAAAHHHHH-!"

_THUD_

"OW!"

Goku landed in front of them… On his head. Gine rushed over to him, and helped her son out of the rubble. She held him tightly.

"Goku! Are you all right?" She asked. Goku winced, rubbing his head.

"Owwww… I landed on my head…!"

There was a beat. Tien sighed.

"Safest thing for him to land on," Tien commented.

There was another silent beat. Then Yamcha snickered, and covered his mouth as he began guffawing hard. Grandpa Gohan's lips twitched, and soon the old man was chuckling as well. Gine locked eyes with Tien… Who snickered and laughed quietly, a pleasant if odd sound coming from the usually stoic young man. Finally, Gine lost it, and in perfect catharsis laughter erupted from her mouth as tears poured from her eyes. She hugged Goku tightly to herself, who joined in the laughter as well.

Then Bulma emerged with her family, safe and sound… To the sight of all these martial artists, victorious warriors, laughing while the corpse of King Piccolo lay in the streets… And the young genius just laughed in the same relief.

They still had to wish back their fallen friends, and rebuild the destruction the monstrous King Piccolo had caused. And maybe investigate that strange thing the Namekian had done just before he'd hit the street...

But for the moment, the nightmare was over.

* * *

_I decided to finish up the flashback this chapter, so we won't have to worry about doing more flashbacks in the coming chapters. At least to this event._


	6. Chapter 6

\- - -

A loud beeping interrupted the story. Gine rummaged in her dress, and pulled out her communications device: Something called a phone. She activated it.

“Hello? Bulma?” She smiled. “Oh! You’re almost here? Okay. Thanks. See you soon.” She ended the call and smiled at Raditz. “We’ll have to take a rain check on that story: Bulma has some tests she wants to do.”

“Rain check?” Raditz asked. “Oh! You mean pause... “

He could hear the roar of the engines of an aircraft. And soon enough the craft came into view, with the little bald friend of Kakarrot’s flying alongside. The aircraft came in for a smooth landing in front of the Son house, and soon Bulma emerged as Krillin landed next to her. Bulma took a few steps forward, beaming widely. Gohan paused in his play with his dragon and laughed as he ran up. The dragon watched, curious, as Bulma approached Raditz and Gine at the picnic table.

“Hey! Hope you don’t mind but I heard about the other Saiyans coming, and I’d like to do a few medical tests,” she said. “As well as make sure you’re not bringing the Space Plague to us.” She winked. “You know, just in case!”

Raditz grunted. “You know, you are unlikely to find anything that the Freeza Force’s scanners would not.”

“Indulge me,” Bulma said. Krillin had picked up Gohan and was tossing him up in the air, making the little hybrid laugh.

“Hahaha! Nice to see you again, squirt!” Krilin laughed.

“Besides, I need to do a check up on Gohan,” Bulma winked. “Come on, won’t you set a good example for your nephew?”

Raditz took a breath to protest, but Gine gave him a comforting smile. He sighed, long and hard.

“Very well,” he said, rising from the bench. “What is it you need?”

\- - -

He really hated it when he asked that question: The answer was never good. And as he floated naked in an observation pod within the mobile laboratory Bulma had brought with her, he realized this had not changed. Bulma’s smile didn’t change, even as she typed on her control consoles. Raditz tugged at one of many sensors stuck onto him all over.

Gine, Krillin, and Gohan were waiting in an adjacent room in the mobile lab. It was just him, and the Earth woman. An Earth woman whose smile reminded Raditz of a predatory beast.

"Ugh... Is this really necessary?" Raditz asked. Bulma nodded vigorously.

"The biometric data I got from your ship was useful, but actual observation and analysis is always better!”

“Wait, you hacked my ship?” Raditz asked, askance and impressed. Bulma grinned and nodded.

“Sure! I’ve had Gine and Goku’s pod to examine for years now. Yours might be a newer model but the same basics apply.” A few sensor probes floated around Raditz, and he could feel the buzz of energy as they scanned him. He grimaced, finding the feeling unsettling rather than uncomfortable.

“And did my mother and brother also have to be naked for this examination?” He protested. Bulma just shot him a wink.

“It’s all in the name of science~!” She asked. Her console beeped abruptly, and she studied the readout. “Hm… Well that’s not good.”

“What?” Raditz asked, nervous. Bulma hummed thoughtfully.

“Just a minor immune deficiency, at least compared to Goku and Gine,” she said. “Nothing to worry about! You just need a booster!”

Raditz relaxed a bit. “Oh good.”

“Unfortunately,” Bulma sighed, “given how strong you are, I’ll have to use the same method I use with Goku.”

“And what method do you use with Kakarrot?” Raditz asked, a feeling of dread settling into the pit of his stomach. This did not ebb even as Bulma again smiled. She pressed a big, red button.

“Don’t worry! It’s very brief,” she said, as a very large cannon lowered from the ceiling. The cannon activated, lasers lighting up and casting dots on his body. Raditz’s eyes widened.

“W-Wait a minute!” He cried. “That’s not necessary! Let’s talk about this! Mother! MOTHER!”

The cannons erupted loudly, covering up Raditz’s very unwarrior-like screams.

\- - -

His brother and Chichi were waiting in the waiting room when Raditz limped out of the lab. They were fully dressed and recently bathed, but the wide smiles they wore and the marks on their necks betrayed just what they’d been up to. Though at least Kakarrot winced in genuine sympathy.

“Yeah, that’s why I hate needles too,” Kakarrot said with a nod. Chichi rolled her eyes, in almost the exact same way that demonic woman Bulma was. Speaking of which, the blue haired scientist had stepped out after Raditz. Krillin, sitting in another chair, was pretending to not be there as he read a magazine. He shrank even more as Bulma scoffed.

“If you hadn’t moved so much, I wouldn’t have had to fire so many!” Bulma huffed. Raditz glared.

“You were pointing a _cannon at me!_ ”

“That’s literally the only way to inject anything into you Saiyans!” Bulma growled. “Gine didn’t complain nearly this much!”

Gine sighed, looking up from her grandson who was happily sitting in her lap. “I didn’t because I was trying to keep Goku from panicking,” she deadpanned. “You can be quite terrifying, Bulma.”

“Ugh,” Bulma groaned. She then turned to Gohan and smiled happily. “Well now sweetie, it’s your turn!”

“NO!” Raditz and Kakarrot both shouted, and Gohan immediately hid behind his grandmother in fright. Bulma started, then sighed.

“I’m not going to use the cannon on _him!_ His skin isn’t anywhere near as strong as yours!” She leaned over and smiled kindly at the nervous little Saiyan. “I promise, it won’t hurt.”

“Really?” Gohan asked, peeking out from Gine’s shoulders. He looked to his grandmother, mother, and father for reassurance. He got that from Chichi and Gine, of course. Kakarrot was still wincing, but managed a nod.

“It’s okay son,” Kakarrot assured him. “Really it is!”

Gohan looked back at Bulma. Bulma extended her hand. Gohan, his little hand shaking, slowly reached up and took it. Bulma kept up her smile, and led the little Saiyan hybrid into the lab. Chichi followed, clearly concerned about her son. Kakarrot sighed, and slumped next to Gine in a chair. Raditz followed.

Raditz then looked over at Krillin. “Please, tell me,” he asked. “She’s not just terrifying to Saiyans, is she?”

Krillin lowered his magazine and nodded. “Just try to get out of being her guinea pig,” Krillin murmured, his eyes haunted. “She has _ways.”_

Gine sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “She means well,” she said, “and I keep reminding myself of this… Some times, more often than usual.”

“Man, I hope Kami contacts us soon,” Kakarrot said with a yawn, shifting a bit in his chair to try and get comfortable. “I really wanna be able to fight those Saiyans! And save the Earth!”

“Fighting them should not be our first priority,” Gine said firmly. Raditz’s eyes shot wide as he glared at his mother.

“Mother! They-They treated me like a slave! They’ll be here to ravage this world and take anything they please!”

“I know,” Gine said, “and I’m not condoning that. However… I did have to live under Freeza’s rule longer than you did. I got to see King Vegeta and the prince. And I know just Freeza and his minions treated us.” She looked at Raditz. “I can imagine it didn’t get any better, after he destroyed our world.”

Raditz growled low under his breath. “No,” he admitted. “It was worse.”

Gine nodded. “Yet Prince Vegeta was expected to one day assume his father’s throne, and lead us,” she said. “He still calls himself our Prince, does he not?”

“Endlessly,” Raditz groaned. Gine shrugged.

“Then perhaps we can sway him to fulfill his duties,” she said. “If he is presented with the chance to rebuild our people, to have _hope…_ And to be free of Freeza.”

“Yes Mother, but he won’t respect us unless we have equal strength,” Raditz protested. “Something we _desperately_ need! Can your Kami provide us with the means to gain that?”

Kakarrot grinned, that same ‘I know secrets you don’t’ grin he’d often used around his elder brother. It was infuriating and endearing at the same time.

“Oh definitely!” Kakarrot said. “Don’t you worry Raditz: We’re gonna have a great fight with him and make him our buddy! You’ll see!”

Raditz made a face. “Even if that happens, and that is _highly unlikely,_ he would never consent to being called ‘buddy’ by _anyone.”_

Kakarrot’s grin just widened. “Then I’ll have to call him my _bestest buddy!”_

Raditz sighed, and looked at Gine. She smiled and shrugged.

“At some point children do go on their own path,” she said. With mild exasperation, she ruffled Kakarrot's hair as he closed his eyes in a happy grin. “You’ll learn that when you become a parent," she finished.

“Guys! Guys, get in here!” Bulma shouted from the lab. The four adults rose, and shuffled quickly into the tight lab area. Gohan was floating in the examination pod, wearing underpants as well as sensors. He was smiling, enjoying how he floated. Bulma was poring over complex diagrams from the sensors, while Chichi looked worried.

“What is it? Is something wrong with Gohan?” Chichi asked urgently.

“Yeah, what’s up Bulma?” Kakarrot asked. Bulma turned back to the adults, grinning ear to ear.

"He's drawing ki into himself!" She said.

Chichi’s head jerked in her direction. "Is that bad?"

"I… Probably not?" Bulma said. She looked to Gine. "Gine, is it anything you know about for Saiyans?"

His mother shook her head. "No, I've never heard of that. Are you sure it's not something humans do?"

Bulma paused, mouth open to deny the idea before the scientist in her asserted itself.

“Hm... I don't know. I’ll need a few more test subjects to be sure,” she said. She looked at all of them, smiling brightly. Krillin sighed in resignation.

"You're not going to try to cut me open this time, right?"

"That was an accident!" Bulma squawked.

Krillin scoffed. "Four times?! Once, sure. Twice, perhaps. I stopped buying it at three, and we’ve passed that point."

"I have a 20000 zeni gift card to capsule mart," Bulma said in a sing song voice.

"... Oh fine," Krillin sighed. Goku raised his hand. Bulma sighed.

"Yes Goku?" She asked.

“... Do we all have to be naked for this one?” He asked. Bulma shrugged, her eyes drifting to the side.

“Well... Not all at _once…”_

\- - -

It took a lot of examinations, awkward moments, and cannon blasts, but eventually, they left Bulma’s mobile lab and retired to the Son house for lunch. Bulma was reviewing the results on her tablet, while Gine and Chichi prepared stacks of food for everyone. Krillin was still blushing severely and shooting Bulma irritated looks. Bulma sighed, as Gohan sat next to him at the table and Kakarrot eagerly waited for the food to be done. The blue haired scientist looked over at Krillin and rolled her eyes.

“Come on, I said I was sorry!”

“It’s the _fourth time this has happened,”_ Krillin ground out. “I’m starting to think it’s not an accident!”

“Don’t be so sensitive, Krillin,” Kakarrot said, leaning over to sniff the aromas coming off a pot Gine was stirring. “It didn’t cut as deep as last time!”

“I’m just saying, there’s a pattern!” Krillin complained.

“You really have to complain this much?” Bulma sighed. Kakarrot slid a hand closer to the pot… Closer…!

He yelped and pulled his hand back, as Gine glared at him. She waved her wooden spoon at him.

“Wait for your food, Kakarrot!” She ordered. Kakarrot’s lower lip wobbled.

“But Mommm…!”

Raditz couldn't help a snicker. It felt good.

Gine turned to Bulma with a warm smile.

“Well Bulma?” She asked gently, “what have you found?”

“We won’t be able to keep anyone’s attention once the food is out, after all,” Chichi said wryly… Though she snuck Goku some kind of fried thing with meat in it with a smile and blush. Kakarrot gobbled it up happily, beaming like the sun. Raditz grumbled a bit, but he too was interested in what the scary human woman had found out.

“Yes, what is it?” Raditz growled, though not too harshly. Bulma grinned, and held up her tablet. On it were several diagrams, mostly showing glowing lines going into, and coming out of, humanoid bodies.

“Okay. So, ki energy is generated by living beings,” Bulma said. “And through training, you can produce more ki energy you can control. To fly, or shoot energy blasts, and other things. With me so far?”

“Thanks for the recap,” Krillin said dryly, even as Kakarrot nodded eagerly. Gohan too was paying great interest. Bulma pointed at one of the humanoid figures.

“Now, Saiyans and humans can both generate ki energy. But because Saiyans are biologically tougher, even on a cellular level, they can generate more ki energy over time, and push themselves further physically.”

“Ha! Knew it,” Raditz grinned. His expression faltered at Gine’s glare. “What? It’s just… It’s nice to know,” he said defensively. Kakarrot nodded.

“Yeah! It’s cool to know,” his little brother said. “And explains a lot.”

Chichi smiled warmly at her husband, a look he returned. Raditz again fought a blush-Ugh! Did they have to be so affectionate?

“It sure does,” Krillin muttered, looking a bit envious. Bulma’s grin grew as she looked over at Krillin and Chichi.

“However,” she said, “humans are able to passively regenerate ki from the environment. You, me, Chichi, and Gohan-We’re all pulling in ki and using it to supplement the power we have. This gives humans more spiritual stamina, if you will.”

Kakarrot hummed thoughtfully, as Krillin blinked in shock. His spiky-haired little brother grinned.

“Oh! That explains it,” Kakarrot said. “You are able to use a lot more energy attacks than I do in our spars.”

“Huh?” Krillin asked. He brightened. “You think we could learn how to consciously use this? Increase our recovery time to be a match for Saiyans?”

“It’s possible,” Bulma said, looking over at Gine. “Saiyans might be able to do it too, but not as efficiently as humans-Your cells are geared more for power generation than absorption, while humans can do both.”

“I have observed that while Saiyans can use multiple high energy techniques, we can’t use them nearly as efficiently as many humans,” Gine said thoughtfully. “That could be a big advantage against Prince Vegeta and Nappa.”

“Haha! Humans represent!” Krillin cheered, throwing a fist up into the air. Bulma smirked.

“Of course,” she said, leaning over and patting Gohan on the head, “as Gohan is a perfect hybrid, this means he’ll get the increased ki generation and the absorption regeneration. So one day, potentially, he’ll be stronger than any Saiyan or human!”

Krillin immediately sagged. “Aw man,” he muttered. “Well, still, that’s kind of a win for humanity.”

The implications hit Raditz like a railgun round. “Then… Saiyan/Human hybrids would have that potential,” he murmured. He looked at Gohan in astonishment. His nephew just grinned.

“So I could be stronger than Daddy?” Gohan asked. Kakarrot grinned, and hugged his son from behind. The little boy laughed, a sound joined by the laughter of his father.

“That’s so cool!” Kakarrot enthused. “Oh man, we’re gonna have so much fun training for the Saiyans and-”

“No!” Chichi declared. “We’re not going to train Gohan to use him like some sort of child soldier!”

Gohan frowned. “But mom,” he said, “I could be really strong-!”

“And we have your father, your grandmother, your uncle, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and _me_ to fight for this world,” Chichi said firmly. “We’re not throwing you into that!” She looked over at Kakarrot. “We don’t need to and we _shouldn’t!”_

Kakarrot held up his hands. “Hey hey! I didn’t mean we train him for this fight,” he said. “But we do have a lot of fun training with him, right? Why not continue that?”

“Because we’re going to need to train furiously to get up to strength, and Gohan shouldn’t be involved!” Chichi protested. “We need to keep him _safe!”_

“But Mom,” Gohan said, “if I could be that strong, can’t I help? I want to help!” He looked at his father, who hummed.

“The thing is Gohan,” Kakarrot said, “we are going to have to train really, _really_ hard. Maybe harder than you’re ready for.”

“Training him may not be a bad idea,” Raditz said slowly. He looked at Gine gravely. “After all, Vegeta may see him as a potential threat. A hybrid child that could surpass him? And even if he doesn’t, the Freeza Force definitely will.” He shook his head. “He needs to be able to defend himself.”

“Defending himself is one thing,” Chichi said, “but _we_ are the adults. The frontline defense for this world. We should protect him, not the other way around.” She looked at Gine. Gine sighed and nodded.

“I agree,” she said gently. She raised up a hand to her sons, “however, he should also know how to defend himself. So, we will have to explore some ways of letting him learn.” She narrowed her eyes. “But we’re keeping him away from the battle.”

“But Mom! Grandma!” Gohan protested. He looked over at Krillin, who shrugged.

“I have to agree with them, kid,” Krillin said. “This is something for us to do. You shouldn’t worry about it.”

Gohan grumbled, crossing his arms. He looked like he was trying not to cry. Raditz sighed softly, but nodded in agreement. Kakarrot also beamed, and patted Gohan’s head.

“Don’t worry son: After this, when you’re a little older, we’ll train for real. And you’ll blow everyone away!”

“Hmph!” Gohan replied, getting out of his chair and running off in a huff. Chichi sighed, her face sad. Kakarrot shrugged, looking a bit disappointed himself. The two looked at one another, both in perfect understanding. Raditz could see his mother smiling wistfully at the connection they held, and he couldn’t help a brief stab of envy. Still, there were more important things to worry about.

**“** _ **Goku? Gine? Raditz? Krillin? Bulma? Chichi? Can you hear me?”**_ The voice of the green skinned alien Kami broke into their thoughts, as Raditz started. Bulma held the sides of her head in shock, her eyes wide.

“GAH! Hey! Don’t do that so loudly!” Bulma shouted. “Some of us aren’t used to other voices in our head!”

**“** _ **My apologies,”**_ Kami said, his volume lower. **“** _ **I have been in long negotiations with King Yemma all night.”**_

“King Yemma?” Asked Raditz. Kami hummed over the telepathic connection.

**“** _**Yes. He judges the souls of the dead when they arrive in the Otherworld-The afterlife.”** _

Raditz’s jaw dropped as he looked over at the others. “The _afterlife?!”_ He cried. Krillin nodded with a smile.

“Oh yeah! I remember him! How is he?” Krillin asked.

**“** _ **Much better, he has a new desk,”**_ Kami said. Raditz stared in shock at the bald human.

“Wait… The afterlife? You’ve-?”

“Died?” Krillin asked. He smiled and nodded. “Yeah! I got better.”

“... How?” Raditz asked.

“Dragonballs,” Krillin said. “Seven magical orbs that summon a giant, wish granting dragon. He can even bring people back from the dead, and yeah-I’ve been dead before.”

Raditz looked over at his family, wondering if this was some kind of joke. But no, all of them nodded, not even reacting as though it was a prank. He looked at Bulma, who shrugged with a smile.

“Yup. Magic dragon balls,” she said. “We have them. Or Clarke’s Law Dragonballs? ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic?’”

“Well, I guess that could be what they are, just tech so advanced it’s like magic,” Krillin said, “but that’s a mouthful compared to just calling them ‘magic’ and-”

**“** _ **As fascinating as this conversation is,** ” _Kami said dryly, “ _ **as I said, I have been in conversation with King Yemma. He has agreed to let one living person go to be trained by King Kai. He is easily the strongest and greatest martial artist in the Otherworld, and he’s willing to accept one new student. One student who may learn techniques that will help us defend the Earth from the Saiyans.”**_

“Just one?” Kakarrot asked, disappointed. “Are you sure? Can’t we go as a group?”

“ _ **Sure… If you all die,”**_ Kami said. Bulma shrugged.

“I’ve got anthrax?” She offered. “You’ll have to provide the Kool-Aid.”

Raditz frowned. It was a reference of some sort, but the grim humor was apparently not making anyone else laugh: Even if they understood it.

Gine sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“That will not be necessary,” his mother said. She looked at Kakarrot. “Goku? You’ll go.”

“Well, hang on,” Chichi said, “how long will this training take?”

“ _ **Probably a little under a year,”**_ Kami said. “ _ **After all, Goku does learn very quickly.”**_

“We can save the Dragonballs to wish him back if we need to,” Krillin suggested. Gine nodded, smiling at the little bald man. She looked to Chichi, who sighed. She walked up to Kakarrot, and hugged him tightly. Kakarrot hugged her back, and grinned.

“Don’t worry Chichi,” Kakarrot said in assurance, “I’ll come back even stronger! And just in time, I promise!”

“I guess,” Chichi sighed. “It’s what we need to do to save the Earth, after all. Still…” She hugged him more tightly. “How soon does he have to leave?”

“ _ **The sooner the better,”**_ Kami said, “ _ **but I can give you until sundown.**_ _**For goodbyes.”**_

Kakarrot sighed, and looked over at Raditz apologetically. “I’m sorry our reunion is so short,” Kakarrot said. He smiled at him. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to spar before I leave, huh?”

“I… Yes, that would be nice,” Raditz managed. “So wait! While you’re training with some King Kai, how will the rest of us be training?”

Gine smiled broadly. “The same way we’ve been training for the last few years, of course.” She looked over at Bulma. “Did you bring them?”

“You know it!” Bulma said with a grin. She got up and walked over to the door leading to the outside. She opened the door, and pulled out one of those capsule devices. She clicked it, and tossed it out into the field. There was a flash, a bang… And a large, spherical vessel with **CAPSULE CORP-GRAVITY VESSEL.** printed across it appeared, standing on four bent mechanical legs.

Bulma’s grin widened. “Introducing the Capsule Corporation Portable Artificial Gravity Training Chamber Mark XII! The first mass production run is complete!” She held up a case full of capsules. “And I brought enough for _everyone!”_

"But before anything else," Chichi said, "lunch! We should have a family meal, after all. This might be the last time we're all together before Goku has to leave for training! And you've missed so much, Raditz!" She beamed. "So come back Bulma! We're eating first!"

"Sounds good to me!" Kakarrot grinned. "Hey Raditz! You've never had dumplings, right? Well Chichi and Mom make the best!"

"Y-Yes, that sounds good," Raditz mumbled, staring at the table. He had been hit with a lot all of a sudden and wasn’t sure how to relate to anything.

Bulma reached out and patted his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You’ll get used to this, eventually. Or have a psychotic episode.”

“Or both, like Bulma,” Krillin snarked.

\- - -


	7. Chapter 7

\- - -

Kakarrot and Chichi did manage to coax Gohan out of his room to eat his lunch, but the four year old was still glum and pouty. Raditz did get to talk more with his family, and found he enjoyed it. A family meal, enjoyable? It was foreign, yet... Nice.

At the end of the meal, Kakarrot rose to hug his mother, and then his wife. Though he spared a rather lewd and prolonged kiss with the latter, which made Raditz blush again. His eyes were caught by Bulma's, who was smirking at him. He blushed radiated harder, as he looked at the table instead.

Finally, Kakarrot walked up to Raditz. Raditz looked down at his little brother, and his little brother looked back up at him. They were silent for a while. Kakarrot then smiled.

"Hey," he said, "keep an eye on things until I get back, all right?"

Raditz smiled back. It was becoming far more natural, despite the short time they'd had together so far.

"The eldest brother is supposed to pick up the slack of the youngest," Raditz replied. Kakarrot laughed, grinning happily.

"Well, you'll have a lot to pick up!" He beamed over at Krillin and Bulma. "Take care of things until I get back, okay?"

"You know we will," Bulma said. Krillin smirked.

"We'll beat the Saiyans before you even get back," Krillin said. Kakarrot gasped.

"Oh no! Don't do that! I want to fight them!" He insisted. Gine rolled her eyes, and fixed Kakarrot with a stern glare.

"Also: don't stop for anything, not even food," she ordered. Kakarrot looked aghast, holding the back of a chair as though for support.

"But Mom-!"

"No buts!" Gine ordered. Kakarrot pouted.

"Awww... Fine," he huffed. He knelt down to Gohan, who was still pouting. "Hey buddy... I'm sorry I have to go away, but I'll be back. And then we'll train! I promise."

Gohan pouted harder, looking up at him intently. "But Dad...!"

Kakarrot beamed. "I promise! And I'll keep it."

He gave Gohan a big hug. The small boy hugged him back, reluctantly. Kakarrot then rose, and walked towards the door... Then stopped just as his hand touched the handle. He turned back, and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh hey, Bulma! I almost forgot. Can you give me another one of your gravity chambers?"

Bulma blinked, and shrugged. She pulled out a capsule and handed it over to Kakarrot.

"Not sure if it'll work in the Otherworld, but it'll be nice to test it out," Bulma said. Kakarrot grinned and winked.

"Don't think it'll be an issue, but thanks!" He saluted, and ran out. "NIMBUSSSS!"

"Now what did he mean by that?" Chichi wondered aloud. Bulma sighed and shook her head, as Gine smiled a bit indulgently.

Gohan, meanwhile, was watching his father fly off with an intent expression. Chichi shook her head, and walked over to rub the top of her son's head affectionately. She kneelt down and smiled at him, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"It's all right, sweetie. Now, why don't you go and do some reading in your room?" She suggested. Gohan turned and headed off, his tail drooping. Raditz frowned deeply, and shook his head. He didn't want to get in the middle of this. He looked over at Bulma.

"So," he began, "how does this gravity chamber work, anyway?"

Bulma grinned. "Oh, you'll love this," she said. "Come on! You too Krillin and Gine! You'll love to see the new features!"

Gine smiled and nodded, before taking Chichi's hand. "Come on Chichi," she said, "you should learn this as well."

"Ah," Chichi began, "but what about Gohan?" She looked over at the door to the upstairs. Gine shook her head, and squeezed her hand.

"He'll be fine on his own," Gine said gently. "He's smart, but he hasn't learned how to mask his energy yet. We'll keep track of him, just fine!"

Raditz noticed that Gohan had paused at the stairs, before his little nephew scurried up the steps as fast as he could. It seemed strange... Maybe he should check on him, just to be sure. After all, Kakarrot told him to keep an eye on things. He may have just reunited with his family, but the urge to protect was strong and-

"Raditz, come on!" Gine called. Raditz hummed, and walked after the rest of the adults.

His nephew would probably be just fine.

\- - -

Piccolo

The barren plateau was whipped by the unyielding winds, smoothed by long eons of erosion. Water filled clouds drifted over it, bathing everything in a fine, freezing mist. The only witnesses were the silent mountains, overlooking the plateau in silent testament to the strength of the ancient Earth.

Here, Piccolo focused his energies to his fingers, fighting back against the resistance of his body, and the surging power threatening to erupt at any moment. He breathed deeply, maintaining his focus, shrinking his awareness to just the power he wielded. He held his wrist tightly, as his very being began to vibrate furiously. He raised his head and pointed his fingers at a nearby mountain peak. The heat coming off his fingers burned through the air, steam now erupting off of his green skin.

"MAKANKOSAPPO!" He roared, and a white and pink coiling beam erupted from his fingers! It shot out, striking a distant mountain top head on! The peak burst, hundreds of tons of rock and snow blasting high into the air like a volcano going off. Piccolo lowered his hand, breathing hard, his other hand still tightly gripping his wrist.

"Haa... Haa... Haa..." The demon shook his head, ever present glare focused on the result. He clenched his fist, frustration building inside him. "Damnit... Still not enough!"

"I dunno! I thought it was pretty good!"

Piccolo's eyes widened in shock. No. No. There was no way. No way in Hell that he could have-

The tall green demon turned, and saw him. Grinning, wearing that orange gi that brought out his stupid face. Son Kakarrot Goku. Piccolo snarled.

"You-How did you-?!"

"You're pretty easy to sneak up on when you're really focused, and concentrating all of your energy! Lucky for me!" His enemy said cheerfully. His bright, happy grin made Piccolo's jaw tighter, his eyes narrow angrily.

"What do you want?!" He demanded, already charging up his aura to full. Goku held up his hands immediately.

"Hey hey! Look, I'd love to fight you again right now, but unfortunately I can't!" He smiled. "I've got news! My brother showed up!"

Piccolo grit his teeth fiercely. "We've met," he sneered, the memory of the long haired Saiyan flying up to him clear in his mind. Goku nodded.

"Oh yeah," Goku said. "And it turns out, you're an alien too! Weird, huh?"

Piccolo glared silently. Goku continued.

"Yeah, a Namekian! You're like, a race of legends! That sounds cool, right? Maybe we'll get to meet them!" Goku tilted his head in a way he most likely thought was endearing. It was just infuriating. Goku kicked the soil a bit like a tardy child.

"Anyway," he went on, "speaking of meeting aliens, more Saiyans are coming in about a year. Really strong ones! Even stronger than us!"

"I know," Piccolo stated acidly. "I listened in on the whole thing."

"Oh right, you are stalking me and my family," Goku said thoughtfully. "You know, you could just come in and talk. Or eat. You do eat, right?"

"No, I don't," Piccolo spat. "Stop treating me like a friend! I'm your enemy!"

Goku hummed, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Well maybe, but now things have changed," he said. "With two really strong Saiyans coming to try and destroy us, and maybe the Earth... I mean, that makes us allies, right?"

Piccolo glared death at his enemy and rival. Goku shrugged.

"I mean," the Saiyan continued, "after all, if they destroy the Earth, you don't get anything to conquer or rule over. Like your dad wanted."

Piccolo stayed silent in his fury and annoyance. Goku shrugged.

"Anyway, Kami's gonna let me go train with King Kai in the Otherworld," he said.

That... Piccolo had not known. He hid his surprise though.

"Hmph. That serious, huh?" Piccolo grunted. This was bad, then.

"Yeah," Goku said with a nod. "The rest of us are training too. We're gonna train hard!"

"Are you just here to annoy me, or do you have a point?" Piccolo demanded.

Goku rummaged in his gi, and pulled out a capsule. He clicked it, and tossed it out into the space between them. It opened in a burst of smoke, and a large, spherical vessel on four mechanical legs appeared. Piccolo raised a brow as Goku's grin widened.

"You've been able to keep up with us without Kami's help, gravity rooms, or anything else! That's really amazing!" Goku nodded. "So imagine how much stronger you'll become with this stuff! It goes up to like, one hundred times normal Earth gravity. The controls are pretty easy to figure out. It also has wifi, so you can look up anything you like on it. And hey, you'll have a roof over your head!"

Piccolo glared intently at the Capsule Corp vessel, and looked back at Goku.

"Why are you doing this?" He hissed. Goku shrugged.

"Because you're really strong. And despite being the son of King Piccolo, you haven't hurt anyone. And hey... If the Earth is blown up, neither of us gets what we want. So we're in this together, whether you like it or not."

Piccolo kept glaring, silent for a while. He sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils.

"This doesn't change anything between us," Piccolo finally spoke. "When all of this is over, we'll still be enemies. And I will kill you one day."

"Yeah, maybe," Goku said with a shrug, "but then I'll get wished back with the Dragonballs. So that's not much of a threat."

Piccolo growled, clenching his fists and shaking them at Goku.

"Take my threats to kill you seriously!" He bellowed. "And don't be so flippant about the Dragonballs! You can't just rely on them to fix every single problem!"

Goku sighed. "Man, you sound just like my mom," he said. "You two would probably get along great." Goku beamed. "Anyway! I'll see you in a year! Work hard, and get strong! Because after we win, I'll want a rematch!" He looked to the sky. "NIMBUSSSS!"

The mystical yellow cloud zipped down, and Goku jumped up onto it. He waved, still grinning that idiotic grin as he zipped away towards the Lookout. Piccolo was left with twitching brows, his mouth open as he scoffed in anger.

"I seriously hate that guy," he growled. He looked at the capsule. He walked over to it cautiously, his keen senses probing it for any traps. Sure, Goku was an idiot but his mother was cunning. He would never forget how she had ruthlessly murdered his father, coordinating the rest of the so-called Z Fighters to kill him...

Still. Even she couldn't be short sighted enough to try and kill him when the stakes were so high. They would need every fighter, and he would need to be his strongest.

He pressed the capsulization button, and the chamber reverted to a small capsule. He held it in his hand, and slid it into his gi. He had training to do.

He detected a brief spike in ki-It felt human, but not quite human. He looked in the direction of the spike, but couldn't see anything. He scowled deeply.

Probably my imagination, he thought, before he lifted off and flew away for greener pastures.

\- - -

On a distant mountain top, Gohan poked his head up over a rocky outcropping. His dragon followed suit, chirping in concern. Gohan shook his head.

"No, I don't know why my dad met that guy, Icarus," Gohan said. He narrowed his eyes. "But I'm gonna find out..."

\- - -

The next day, the breakfast was far more somber and reserved. And Raditz wasn’t one to interrupt things. The social interactions on this planet were proving to be far more complicated than he had anticipated.

Then again, he hadn’t anticipated _any_ social interactions on this planet. Save for greeting his brother and dragging him off to go destroy more planets for Freeza.

Still, he did have his mother to take charge. Something he was grateful for. Her gentle smile was the only thing keeping him grounded in the sudden, strange whirlwind his life had been caught up in.

Following her lead, after breakfast, they packed up and flew for Kami’s Lookout. Gohan rode in Chichi’s arms, still looking a bit unhappy but at least he wasn’t crying anymore.

Up high, the humans who had gathered at Kame House were now gathered here on the Lookout. Even the old man-Master Roshi was it? They were clustered around some kind of air vehicle in front of the main temple-like complex. Here, Bulma was setting up some kind of communications device, a cable connected to it from the vehicle: He supposed this facility wouldn’t have many modern amenities.They all turned to look at Gine, leading the pack. She smiled at them all warmly, as the other humans looked at them with varying expressions.

“Thank you for coming,” she said. She turned to Bulma. “Do we have the communications link set up with the King yet?”

Bulma gave her a thumbs up, stepping back from the complex device. The other humans stepped away as well.

“We’re all set!” she said. “Holographic sensors are online!”

“So, we are talking to the leader of your world?” Raditz asked. Chichi nodded with a smile.

“Yes! He personally thanked Goku and Gine after they defeated King Piccolo,” she said. Tien looked slightly annoyed.

“And us too,” Tien muttered. Chichi flushed.

“Sorry,” she said.

Gine walked up in front of the holographic communication device. It activated, running a scanning beam over her. In a moment, a blue holographic projection of a short, furry being appeared. The being had pointed ears, a long snout, blue fur, and was wearing a dress. Raditz immediately found his eyebrow rising, as his mother bowed politely to the projection.

“King Furry, it is a pleasure to speak with you once again,” Gine said politely. King Furry smiled brightly back, showing sharp teeth as he wagged his tail.

“ _And it is always a pleasure to speak with you, Lady Son Gine,”_ he replied.

Raditz blinked.

“So… Is that your leader?” Raditz muttered to Chichi. Chichi nodded.

“I voted for the other guy. I’m partial to better tort regulation and pitbulls,” she said. Raditz blinked.

“Ah. So the other candidate had these… Pitbulls?” He asked. Chichi shook her head, setting Gohan down. The little four year old began wandering off, exploring the lookout.

“No,” Chichi said, “he was a pitbull.”

Raditz blinked. Chichi shook her head.

“It’s a breed of dog-Nevermind,” she said. “Not important.”

Raditz turned his attention back to what was apparently important: His mother discussing details with the King of Earth (who was not a pitbull). The King was asking some pertinent questions.

“ _So, these Saiyans-Others like you? Is it possible to track them?”_ The King asked. Bulma stepped up, smiling with a confident nod.

“Yes Your Majesty! If they’re using the same kind of drives Gine’s pod used, we’ll be able to get a few days warning. When they get within a few hours, we can determine where they’ll land exactly. They apparently have inertial dampeners and force fields that allow them to just plow right into the ground without slowing first.”

“ _Efficient of them,”_ the King observed dryly. “ _And you say your eldest son has… Defected to aid us?”_

“Yes,” Gine said with a smile. She looked over at Raditz, and waved him over. Raditz approached, feeling a bit of trepidation. Not at talking to this furry political leader, no… But at the prospect of embarrassing his mother. He coughed into his fist-Something he did to disguise his facial expression when nervous. The king looked at him with a probing expression, showing he was far more shrewd than his lack of power might suggest.

“ _And what brought you to our world, Mister Raditz?”_ The King asked.

“Er… I was actually hoping to find my brother,” Raditz said. “I was under the impression he was sent here to… Uh…”

“DESTROY ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET!” A new voice crowed over the group. Gine’s brow twitched as she scowled. Tien sighed. Krillin looked faintly amused. Yamcha grimaced. Chichi rolled her eyes. Chiaotzu laughed softly, as Bulma smiled in a bit of bemused tolerance. Roshi chuckled.

Raditz looked over at the newcomer: A Gray Galactic Patrolman for the Galactic Federation, who was posing dramatically. Gine then shot a harsh glare over at Bulma, who shrugged in embarrassment.

“Well,” Bulma said, with a nervous titter, “he is a Galactic Patrolman. He might have some intel that could help…”

“Indeed!” The Galactic Patrolman announced, strutting up to the gathering. “You should be grateful! I, Jaco, the Galactic Patrolman, has decided to aid you in your time of need! The Galactic King himself might discipline me for making direct contact with the leader of your charming, backwater little world and-URK!”

Gine had _moved,_ and towered over Jaco. She growled, her tail standing up straight. Her irritation was practically made manifest, radiating off her body in waves. Everyone there was flinching-Even the King, and he was probably several thousand miles away.

“ _Be. Useful. Or. LEAVE,”_ Gine snarled. Jaco coughed.

“Of course, Lady Son!” He choked out. Gine turned away, and took a deep breath. She regained her composure, and resumed smiling.

“Please inform me next time he’s coming, Bulma,” Gine said politely. “Just so I’m prepared.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bulma squeaked. Yamcha patted her palm comfortingly, but noticeably kept her between him and Gine.

Jaco walked up slowly, keeping everyone else between him and Gine as he got to the holographic communicator.

“Anyway,” Jaco resumed, “from Galactic intelligence, Vegeta and Nappa are two of Freeza’s most used Planetary Exploration Officers-What they call their exterminators. Vegeta is the Prince of all Saiyans, and Nappa was once the General of the Saiyan Forces. They are far powerful than the vast majority of Galactic Patrolmen, and have exceeded the average powers of most of their race. They have done massive amounts of damage and obliterated the populations of hundreds of worlds.”

Jaco then looked over intently at Raditz, who coughed. He shook his head and glared.

“Along with their… Sidekick, Raditz,” Jaco stated. Raditz twitched.

“ _Sidekick?!”_ He shouted. Jaco smiled unpleasantly.

“Yes!” Jaco said. “An accomplice in multiple planetary assaults, occupations, with multiple warrants for his arrest-”

“Who is willing to fight to save this world!” Raditz insisted. He looked at the other Z Fighters, most of them looking rather suspicious now. “I-I have turned over a new leaf! Really! How could I fight against my own family?!”

“Such a _pure hearted warrior,”_ Jaco stated dryly.

“This from the guy who tried to kill everyone on this planet when he met Gine,” Bulma deadpanned.

Gine looked like she was about to haul off on Jaco, but Master Roshi put a hand on her shoulder.

“Calm, Gine, calm,” he murmured. Gine took a deep breath, and let go of her anger… For the most part. Raditz raised an eyebrow at Jaco: He’d heard of Galactic Patrolmen tactics, but one trying to go that far to obliterate a Saiyan?

No wonder his mother was so angry. He held himself back though, as she was doing the same. Jaco coughed, and tapped his fingers together a bit nervously. The Galactic Patrolman cleared his throat.

“Ah… Well, that was before I got to know her-” Jaco began. Gine stepped forward, her eyes burning. Roshi’s hand remained on her shoulder, acting like a leash.

“If you’re going to threaten my son, you might as well threaten me too,” she said. “After all, I was part of Bardock’s team. We did things just as bad-Perhaps worse.”

“Come on Gine, you’ve more than made up for that!” Chiaotzu said defensively, floating nearer to her and shooting a glare at Jaco. Gine treated the little floating albino with a grateful smile.

“Thank you Chiaotzu,” she said gently, and the tiny psychic blushed happily, “but the fact remains, I did terrible things too. This world… All of you gave me the chance to become a better person.” She shook her head. “And Raditz deserves the same chance.”

Everyone looked at Jaco. The Galactic Patrolman sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. He gave Raditz an even expression, as Raditz glared back. Jaco threw up his arms.

“Oh all right! All right! I just thought you’d like to know what you’re getting into,” Jaco snorted. “But you should be grateful that I’m such an understanding and compassionate Galactic Patrolmen! Always willing to play by my own rules, rather than those of the Patrol!”

“It’s not like he’s strong enough to take any of us into custody anyway,” Tien muttered. Jaco scowled at the bald monk.

“I heard that!” The alien policeman shouted.

“Is that okay?” Tien asked mockingly.

“ _If we could get back on topic?”_ King Furry cut in. The entire group looked back at the hologram. The King, unfazed, looked intently at Bulma and Gine.

“ _Now. Why do we need to let them land at all? Can’t we just blow them out of the sky? As I recall, Saiyans can’t breath in space.”_

Raditz felt himself nodding at that. Gine sucked in a deep breath. She looked over at Bulma, who nodded to the older woman. Gine nodded back, and stepped forward once more.

“We could, Your Majesty,” Gine said carefully, “but the fact of the matter is: Prince Vegeta and Nappa would be far more useful to the Earth on our side. We know the truth of what happened to our homeworld. What that _monster_ Freeza did. Further, we are all that’s left of his people, with the cultural legacy of our race. And the training techniques on Earth have allowed us to become strong-Strong enough that, in time, we could challenge Freeza himself.”

She smiled confidently.

“I am sure that with this argument, the Prince will agree to ally with us. This will increase Earth’s defenses, and let us rebuild our people.”

“ _And if he doesn’t?”_ The King asked. Immediately, Raditz's estimation of the furry leader went up a few more notches. Gine shook her head.

“That’s why my youngest son is undergoing special training, and why we are all going to train to match their powers,” Gine explained. “We are taking this seriously, but… The chance to rebuild our world is too much to pass up.” She bowed low, politely, to the hologram. “I humbly ask you to accept this course of action, Your Majesty.”

The King was silent, humming softly. He then nodded, slow and sure.

“ _All right,”_ he said. “ _However, the emergency protocol Absalon will be in effect.”_

Gine was still, then nodded. “I understand, Your Majesty,” she said.

Raditz turned to Krillin, who had so far been very informative. The little monk looked a bit anxious.

“Absalon?” He muttered. The little monk took a deep breath.

“Well, basically… If we fail to stop your buddies, the military will drop about a hundred megatons of antimatter bombs and particle beam fire on wherever we are.” He looked at Raditz, raising an eyebrow. “Is that enough to kill them?”

Raditz winced. He screwed up his face in thought, crossing his arms. “If they’re weakened enough and unable to react in time? Maybe?”

“Oh good. ‘Maybe’. Better than our usual odds,” Krillin quipped dryly.

\- - -


	8. Chapter 8

\- - -

There was a bit more discussion with King Furry, largely about logistics and a few other things. The king seemed satisfied for now, but would want regular updates. Gine agreed to this, and soon they said their goodbyes and the communicator was shut off. Gine sighed and stretched her arms over her head. She looked over at Raditz, and then over at Tien.

"Of course," she said, "the training part is going to be the hardest."

Tien hummed. "How is he as a fighter?" He asked, looking at Raditz. "He's fairly strong-Not on our level-but how skilled is he?"

Gine sighed, crossing her arms under her chest. "He's... Well..."

Raditz narrowed his eyes. His mother had taken on so much for him, done so much for him... He didn't need her coddling him in front of other warriors! He wanted to prove himself to her. Sure, she had whipped him good... But he would prove that he was worthy of fighting alongside her and for this world.

"I can demonstrate my skills for you, if you're going to question them," Raditz stated clearly. Tien hummed thoughtfully. The triclops looked over at Gine, who nodded. Tien looked back at him.

"All right," Tien said. "Just to warn you, we've trained to fight as a group, so-"

At Gine's concerned look, Raditz shook his head. He scoffed.

"Bah! I'll take on... All four of you!" He declared. Tien again looked at Gine. She smiled at him, and nodded. She looked back at her son.

"All right Raditz," she said. "If you wish. Yamcha! Krillin! Chiaotzu! Team takedown formation."

Gine stepped back, joining Chichi, Bulma, the floating cat, and Master Roshi over by the holographic projector. Chiaotzu floated over, as Krillin and Yamcha walked over after the tiny albino. Yamcha looked over at Gine.

"So... Just a friendly sparring session?" He turned to Raditz, and smiled. "I do like that. It's a great way to get to know others, and-"

"No," Raditz said, tensing a bit at Gine's smile. "No, I want you to go all out. Don't hold back! At all!"

Tien crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Are you sure about that?"

Raditz nodded, and settled into a fighting stance. He lifted up his scouter, and put it on. He activated it, the data now flowing over his eyepiece.

"I am ready," he said. He looked at his concerned mother and smile. "Don't worry! I tore out the eavesdropping equipment and put it back together."

"Wait, you could do that?" Bulma asked, curious. Raditz nodded.

"Yes," he said. "As Vegeta and Nappa were too busy being _dicks_ to do anything-!"

"Language," Gine said gently. Raditz coughed.

"They, well... I had to be the mechanic, troubleshooter, and technician on our ships and equipment. So I had to learn how to fix it all, and so I picked up a few tricks."

Bulma... Immediately grinned broadly. "So," she turned to Gine, "how much for a dowry?"

"A... Pardon?" Raditz asked. The translator chip in his head did its work, and he blushed. "AH?!"

"Bulma!" Yamcha protested, "come on! Right in front of me?"

"Hey, you could still be my piece on the side," Bulma teased back with a wink.

Raditz blushed even harder, as Chichi rolled her eyes.

"Not in front of Gohan, please?" Chichi asked.

Gine chuckled, and shook her head. Tien smirked a bit, as Yamcha, Krillin and Chiaotzu laughed. Roshi just snickered immaturely.

"Anyway," Gine said, "let's get on with it!"

Chiaotzu, Krillin, and Yamcha moved to surround Raditz, several meters away from him on all sides. Raditz tapped his scouter, setting it into combat mode. Tien uncrossed his arms, and stood in a ready stance. A moment later, his aura flared, as he powered up. And so did the other humans.

His scouter's readings gave him some optimism at first: Each human was only at around 1,000... Then they all jumped to 2,000... 3,000... 4,000...

_I may have made a mistake,_ Raditz thought faintly. But his mother's smile pushed him onwards.

He posed dramatically, charged up a sphere of ki in his hand... And pointed it down, firing it into the tiled floor of the Lookout. blowing up a massive cloud of dust and debris. He immediately shot towards Chiaotzu, deciding the psychic would be his first target. He swung hard at the little pale being, who immediately dodged around his furious strikes. His scouter beeped a warning as a ki source high above him erupted!

" _DODON RAYS!"_ Tien bellowed, and Raditz was barely able to throw himself out of the way of the blasts. The yellow beams shot past him, as Yamcha charged in to melee range.

" _NEO WOLF FANG FIST!"_ Yamcha shouted, his fists and feet lashing out in a flurry of punches and kicks Raditz couldn't evade. He pulled his arms up into a crossed block, weathering the powerful strikes as best he could even as they drove him back. His scouter beeped another warning, and he boosted up to avoid a ki blast from Chiaotzu from behind. He charged up both hands, pink ki burning like flames in his fists.

" _DOUBLE SUNDAY!"_ Raditz shouted, sweeping the beams across the Lookout. A forcefield raised over the spectators deflected the shots, as Tien flashed right in front of him. Raditz got a punch across the jaw that sent him flying. He used his aura to twist around, as Chiaotzu flashed behind him. The little psychic raised his hands, and his ki burned blue around his body.

" _KUUKYOKEN_!" Chiaotzu cried, and a _force_ of telekinesis struck Raditz like an invisible wall, blasting him into Yamcha's mighty kick and punch combo! The strikes hurt, bad, and sent Raditz high up into the air. He managed to settle himself... Just as his scouter beeped the loudest warning it had made so far.

He abruptly realized that during the entire fight, he hadn't seen or fought Krillin at all.

Now... He saw why.

The small monk had pulled back away from the combat... And had now bulked up, his body huge and muscular to the point he almost resembled Nappa. He had pulled his hands back into a familiar clamshell, as power crackled all over his powerful looking body. A blue orb of ki had formed in his hands, as he finished his chant... And let the blast go.

**"** _**KA... ME... HA... ME... HAAAAAAA!"** _

Raditz immediately accelerated as the beam shot for him, and dove down to dodge it... But the beam curved down for him! Faster than he could react, he was engulfed in the massive blue beam! He was sent tumbling, and smashed right into the surface of the Lookout, his face buried in a large crater. He groaned softly, and struggled to get back up. He saw a pair of feet in front of him, and looked up to glare at the owner through his scouter: Krillin.

Forty seconds... He hadn't lasted... _Forty seconds!_ That was all...

The bald monk smiled... And held out his hand.

"Hey," he said, "you've got nowhere to go but up, right? And that trick at the start was pretty good," he said. "If we couldn't sense ki, it would have let you get one of us."

Raditz stared at the hand. He chanced a glance back at his mother, who was smiling in encouragement. No mockery, no derision.

He looked back at Krillin's hand... And slowly reached up to take it. The little monk pulled him up to his feet. Raditz took a deep breath.

"... Thanks," he said. He looked over at his mother. "So?"

Gine smiled. "We have a lot of work to do," she said gently. "But don't worry, I know just the man who will help you." She looked at Master Roshi. The old Turtle Hermit sighed.

"... All right, I'll do it!" He said. "But are you sure the bikini shoot is still off the table?"

Chichi glared pure death at the hermit. Gine sighed, and shrugged.

"... I will consider it," she said. Chichi gaped.

"Mother-in-law!" Chichi gasped. Gine shrugged, and smiled impishly.

"It's no worse than what Bulma had to do," she said. Bulma flushed, as Roshi cackled.

"Can we NOT bring that up?!" Bulma barked, deeply embarrassed. Yamcha looked confused.

"Not bring what up?" He asked. Roshi opened his mouth... Saw Gine's fist being clenched, and thought better of it.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Roshi said. He nodded to Raditz. "Well! Let's get going! No time like the present, eh?"

"I suppose so," Raditz said, increasingly confused... But getting more used to it.

This was Earth, after all. This seemed to be normal to them. Maybe, one day, it would be normal for him, too...

\- - -

**Gohan**

Gohan had wandered into the complex on the Lookout. While the fight between Uncle Raditz and his other uncles was pretty cool, he did have some more pressing questions. And Kami might be able to answer them. He toddled into the central complex, walking down a great hallway supported by pure white pillars, towards the main building. Which was accessible via a very large open door.

The four year old paused at the side of the door, and peered in carefully, his tiny fingers grasping the door’s edge tightly. That’s when he saw Kami, and Gohan pulled back to hide behind the door out of nerves.

The ancient Namekian was sitting on his throne, his eyes shut as he sat still as a statue. Gohan blinked, and crept in slowly to get a better look. He didn’t seem to be moving, and Gohan wondered if he was breathing. He took a few more steps forward, looking up into the aged face.

For a long time, nothing happened. Gohan just stood there awkwardly, his curiosity fighting with his fright.

Then, Kami’s eyes slowly slid open. He looked down, and favored the young child with a soft smile.

“Hello Son Gohan,” he said, his words warm and unhurried, “What can I do for you?”

Gohan yelped and slid back in fear, nearly falling onto his bottom. He then remembered his manners, and quickly bowed.

“Ah, oh, I’m sorry, Mister Kami, sir!” He babbled. Kami chuckled softly, and gave the young half-Saiyan a gentle smile.

“It’s all right. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Kami soothed. “I sense you have questions.”

Gohan fidgeted and looked down at his feet, his hands unsure of where they wanted to be.

“Um, well, sir, uh… Mister Kami, sir, you’re… An alien, right? A-A Namekian?”

Kami slowly nodded. “Yes, I am,” he answered. Gohan looked up nervously, though his eyes didn’t quite meet Kami’s.

“Um… L-Like Mister Piccolo?” He asked. Kami’s features remained the same, as he slowly nodded again.

“Yes. We used to be the same being, actually,” he explained. Gohan’s eyes focused, and widened in astonishment.

“Really?” He asked, amazed. Kami smiled, and waved his hand to invite the little boy to come closer. Gohan stumbled forward, and didn’t protest when the old Namekian lifted him up to sit in his lap. Gohan looked up at Kami, as the Guardian of Earth’s eyes drifted away.

“Yes, really. Long ago, we were sent here from our homeworld, the planet Namek,” Kami went on. “We took on the role of the Guardian of Earth, but we needed to be purged of our evil, aggressive impulses to take it up. And so, I was born with all those impulses expunged.”

“And… Mister Piccolo’s dad was born with all the evil?” Gohan asked. Kami shrugged slightly, nodding at the child’s deduction.

“Yes, in a sense,” Kami said. “When your father and grandmother defeated him, he created a son he spat out in an egg, which grew up into the new Piccolo. Who desires, above all else, revenge on your family.”

Gohan looked thoughtful-Far more thoughtful than a normal four year old should. He then looked back up.

“If that’s true… Why would my dad be nice to him?” Gohan asked. Kami’s smile became wan.

“Hm. You mean, why would Goku spare him?” He asked. Gohan looked aside, quite guilty in his expression. Kami didn’t react to this, but Gohan couldn’t help but feel that the old alien knew what he’d done.

“Um, yeah… Why?” Gohan asked again. Kami sighed quietly, almost sadly.

“Well… Part of it is that, if Piccolo dies, then I die too,” he explained. Gohan’s face screwed up in confusion.

“Huh? But you’re different people now, right?” He asked. Kami nodded.

“Physically, yes. But our life forces remain linked due to the nature of our split,” Kami explained. “So if one of us dies, we both die. That was one reason.”

“And the other?” Gohan asked. Kami smiled gently.

“Your father does enjoy fighting strong opponents. And Piccolo was his greatest challenge. But at the same time, he sensed that within him was the capacity for good. To become more than just what his father tried to make him.”

Gohan blinked up at him. “So maybe, one day… Mister Piccolo won’t be all bad?”

Kami nodded. “Perhaps, if someone guided him,” he allowed, “but it would be very dangerous for anyone to try to help him.”

Gohan looked back down at his hands. “Oh,” Gohan murmured. He could feel Kami’s eyes studying him. He then looked back up, his curiosity again rising.

“So, how do you split up and stuff? And shoot out eggs? Doesn’t that mean that Piccolo’s daddy was actually his mommy?”

Kami chuckled. “Those are very good questions,” he complimented Gohan. “Would you like to see the library? I could show you it.”

Gohan beamed. Libraries were always lots of fun. “Okay!” He said.

Kami stood up, carrying Gohan in one arm. He walked out of the throne room and down the hallway, reaching the next wing in only a few moments. And inside was indeed a gigantic library, filled to bursting with books, ancient scrolls, and tablets! Gohan’s eyes widened in amazement, and he grinned.

“Wow!” Gohan gasped. Kami set him down, and he immediately ran off, looking at the titles on the books and searching for anything interesting. He found a lot, and pulled out a few to read at a nearby table. Kami stood over him, answering his questions with a warm smile.

At last, his mother came in, looking concerned.

“Gohan? Go-Oh! Hello Lord Kami,” Chichi said, bowing in respect. Kami chuckled, and shook his head. He reached out and pulled Chichi back up by her shoulder.

“There is no need for such formality, though I can see where your son got his good manners,” he complimented. Chichi flushed, and then looked around at the vast library. She gasped in amazement.

“Wait… Is that a Guttenberg Bible?!” Chichi cried. Kami nodded.

“Yes, and it’s an original. There’s an original Mahabharata near it as well,” Kami said kindly. “Your son was curious about the library, so I brought him here.”

“Oh wow,” Chichi murmured. She then walked over to her son, knelt down, and beamed at him. “Are you enjoying the library, Gohan?”

“Uh huh!” Gohan said with a happy nod. He held up a book. “He even has _Hop on Pop!”_

“Ah,” Chichi blinked, and looked up at Kami. Kami shrugged.

“I have a fondness for Doctor Seuss books,” he explained. Chichi smiled.

“Fair enough,” she said. She looked at Kami, "I'm very sorry about this."

Kami chuckled. "I suffered very little. No apologies necessary."

“Can we visit Mister Kami and his library again, Mom?” Gohan asked eagerly. Chichi looked up at Kami. The Ancient Namekian nodded.

“Whenever you want,” Kami said. Chichi beamed at him, and then at her son.

“Since he says it’s okay, we certainly can,” Chichi cooed. She gathered her son up in her arms, and turned to Kami with a warm smile.

“Thank you,” she said. Kami nodded.

“Not a problem,” he said. He stepped aside, allowing Chichi to walk past towards the door.

“And Gohan?” Kami spoke.

Gohan looked at Kami, suddenly wary. “Um, yes Mister Kami?”

“Do be careful,” Kami said gravely. Chichi adjusted Gohan in her arms, and smiled back at Kami.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep him out of trouble,” she said, walking out and disappearing down the corridor. Kami hummed softly.

“I certainly hope so,” he murmured.

\- - -


End file.
